


Yesterday Once More

by humaninventorysystem



Series: Dark Fix-It | Break It Differently | series [1]
Category: Dark (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, Break It Differently, Canon Typical Triggers, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon-typical Events, F/M, First Love, Fix-It of Sorts, Heavy Angst, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:48:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 107,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24994150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/humaninventorysystem/pseuds/humaninventorysystem
Summary: A story about a girl wrapped up in a story about a boy and a girl.Please remember that this fic follows Dark REALLY closely up to a certain point. So all of its triggering content is still generally in the fic series (minus the glorification of Martha x Jonas and subsequent things meaning those aspects are still there just not actually glorified as they are in the show). So please keep this in mind before reading.*SPOILERS*This is the first part of the three world series. The next world's title is '[They Long to Be] Close to You' and the last world's title will be 'Only Yesterday.' So stay on the look out for those.
Relationships: Bartosz Tiedemann/Martha Nielsen, Bartosz Tiedemann/OC, Jonas Kahnwald & Bartosz Tiedemann, Jonas Kahnwald/Martha Nielsen, Jonas Kahnwald/OC, Martha Nielsen & OC
Series: Dark Fix-It | Break It Differently | series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1825189
Comments: 101
Kudos: 66





	1. The Beginning is The End

Meeting Jonas felt as if the world finally started turning for Annalise. Her lips felt dry seeing the blonde boy. Her tongue instinctively licked her lips to moisten them once more. His bright blue eyes were just as Martha had described. He was different though. He did not radiate the happy energy that Martha had once described. 

“Anna,” Bartosz called to pull her out of her trance from seeing Jonas. He leaned over to his best friend and teased loud enough for everyone to hear, “Forgive her. She’s still a foreigner so her German isn’t the best.” 

Annalise grumbled, “Please don’t call me that.” She rubbed her shoulder anxiously. She never understood why Martha decided to date such an ass when she was previously dating such a sweet boy, especially since the ass was the sweet boy’s best friend. 

“Hey.” Jonas gave a small smile, “You know, it’s a fairly pretty name. It’s close to my mom’s name. Hannah.” 

She laughed, “Did you just say my name was pretty because it sounds like your mom’s?” 

Jonas blushed. He bit his lip for a second. “Yeah.” he quickly changed the subject, “You’re German isn’t that bad.” 

Annalise rolled her eyes as she watched everyone walking towards the doors, “Well, Bartosz likes to make fun of me.” She spotted Magnus and said, “I’ve gotta go talk to him.” She honestly just wanted to leave the awkward conversation. 

Bartosz laughed and explained to his friend once she left, “She lives with them since her exchange status, you know. Anna is weirdly close to Magnus. Martha always asks me to stop pointing it out but the way she looks at him is fucking weird.” 

“Did you tell anyone,” Jonas changed the subject. 

Bartosz chuckled, “I told everyone you were on a two-month school exchange in France, playing hide-the-baguette. Conveniently enough, Annalise came over from America a month later so no one really questioned much.” He looked at Jonas who still seemed worried, “Relax. Come on.” He walked towards the school and encouraged his friend, “Come on.” 

Magnus looked down at Annalise and rolled his eyes at the girl’s smelling of him, “Yeah. Mikkel is at school safe. You should have just waited for all of us if you were that worried.” 

“You smell like weed,” She commented pulling away from the older boy. 

Magnus shook his head, “Who are you? Franziska? What has gotten into everyone today?” A slight blush grew on his face. 

“Franziska,” Annalise teased dancing just out of his reach, “That’s a big surprise, Magnus.” 

“Shut up,” He turned his head and asked, “Shouldn’t you go find Martha?” 

Annalise nodded then turned just in time to spot her, “There she is, I’ll go. Bye Magnus. Have fun~” 

Martha looked at her foreign friend. “You left without me this morning,” she complained, “where did you go?” 

Annalise shrugged, “I just walked to school.” She lied. She had gone to try to pick up some bread for herself that morning and past Ulrich on her way coming back from the bakery. He made her promise not to tell anyone about it, so she had eaten as much as she could before getting to school before passing it off to one of her other classmates. 

“Assemblies like this are for idiots,” Bartosz reasoned, “They need to get rid of them.” 

Jonas didn’t reply, but instead, kept an eye on Martha who was walking towards them. He truly smiled for the first time since getting home. His hopeful eyes watched as she moved to sit. 

Bartosz moved to give Martha a place to sit next to him. When he noticed Annalise with her, he whispered to the person next to Jonas to move. 

Martha sat in between Bartosz and Jonas. Sorrowfully, she gave Bartosz a kiss as he wrapped an arm around her. Completely unaware of Jonas’ face changing to one of hurt, she linked her hand with Bartosz’s. 

Bartosz leaned over and confessed as if an afterthought, “Maybe you did miss something.” 

Annalise shifted uncomfortably on the other side of Jonas and looked away. A sick feeling filled her stomach seeing how Jonas’s expressions changed. She just bit the inside of her lip and decided to stay out of it for the moment though. 

Martha looked up at Jonas to finally fully study him. She mustered up her courage to let out a, “Hey.” 

Very quietly, Jonas replied back, “Hey.” 

Martha looked around the room trying to figure out exactly what she wanted to say next. She could feel that they were making this moment awkward for everyone. “How was France,” She asked. 

Before Jonas could respond, Bartosz answered, “French. How else?” He laughed at his own joke causing Martha to look at him unamused. 

Annalise leaned over, made a face at him, and said, “Shove off Bartosz, that wasn’t even funny.” 

“Oh, shut up Anna,” Bartosz rolled his eyes and sneered back at her before he and Annalise shifted to sit correctly in their seats once more. 

Everyone started to applaud as Katharina walked onto the stage as if the entire school were thankful that she interrupted the awkwardness between Jonas and Martha. The woman thanked everyone for their warm welcome and then started on the assembly about Erik Obendorf. This caused numerous students to whisper amongst themselves as Jonas and Martha just looked at each other. 

Afterward, they all walked to their classes. Annalise lagged behind with Jonas kind of just following Bartosz and Martha. She really didn’t know what to say to make the situation any better. So she instead elected to stay silent. The girl did overhear Bartosz talking about meeting up to go to the caves later to get the remains of Erik’s dope. She shook her head and stormed past them, “Excuse me.” She walked into her and Martha’s shared first period. 

Bartosz smiled and chuckled, “She really needs to get some dick. Magnus still hasn’t done that yet?” He teased Martha. 

Martha lightly hit her boyfriend, “Gross.” She pulled away and followed Annalise into the classroom to try and apologize. 

Bartosz anxiously waited until the middle of the first period with Jonas to discuss going to the caves. First, he needed to make his friend laugh though. While Franziska gave her report, he leaned over to his friend, “You know what I’ve been wondering for days? If the blackest hole of all is parked in Franziska Doppler’s ass.” 

Jonas finally chuckled. A giant grin spread across his face and he tried to suppress his laughter. 

“But, seriously,” Bartosz stated seriously, “what I really wonder is this: If Erik didn’t run away, but got snuffed out or something instead, then all his dope is still in the caves.” 

Jonas looked at his friend confused. 

Bartosz continued, “He kept his entire stash there.” 

“So,” Jonas asked. 

Bartosz shook his head, “Oh, man!” He sighed at his friend’s foolishness, “We go in there and….bingo!” 

Jonas scoffed, “That’s bullshit.” 

“It’s awesome,” Bartosz counteracted. 

Martha leaned over to Annalise and whispered, “I know you two aren’t the greatest of friends, but can’t you and Bartosz try to be at least a bit more polite and nicer to each other?” 

Annalise twirled her pencil in her hand, “Tell that to him first. I’ve always been the one to try and play nice.” 

“Well, you are coming with us to the cave tonight right,” Martha pleaded, “It would be really awkward if it’s just me, Bartosz, and Jonas.” 

Annalise smiled and stifled a laugh, “Isn’t Magnus also going? Want another person there so you can hoe with your boyfriend without feeling bad about Jonas.” 

“Shut up,” Martha blushed and hit her shoulder against the other girl a bit harder than she expected that caused Annalise to fall out of her seat with a large clang of the metal stool against the cement floor. 

The bell rang signifying the end of the school day before any of the kids could realize. 

Jonas called Bartosz on his bullshit then asked, “Then you’ll go around selling it or what?” 

Bartosz hummed, “No dude. We’ll smoke half of it ourselves. And if there are capacities on the market, you don’t hesitate.” He further explained, “We’ll go there and get the stuff. Easy Peasy.” 

“Who’s getting what stuff,” Magnus’s deep voice called over to the two boys as he and his sister joined them atop the stairs. 

“We’re going to the caves tonight,” Bartosz explained to the boy before going to greet his girlfriend with a deep kiss. 

Magnus laughed. He turned towards Jonas and asked, “You turning into boy scouts?” 

“Bartosz thinks Erik’s dope is there,” Jonas replied. 

The group started their way down the stairs to meet up with Annalise who was waiting hanging off the metal banister on the outside of the stairs. Martha spoke up, “Fanny told me they once found a dead squirrel with five legs there.” 

“You’ll believe any old crap,” Magnus teased his sister. 

Annalise laughed and said, “Come on Magnus. Leave Martha alone. Let her live in her dreams.” She hopped off to pounce on her surrogate brother’s back causing him to stumble a bit. They both started to laugh and Jonas smiled at the pure ridiculousness of what was going on between Magnus and Annalise. 

Martha turned to the two laughing like crows, “Just because you can’t see past your nose doesn’t mean there aren’t things going on out there that the nuclear power mafia keeps secret from the public.” 

Magnus pushed Annalise off while Martha went on her rant. As he passed his sister, he told her, “Don’t forget to breathe.” Franziska, as if on cue, stood in the doorway blocking the group. She looked up at the tall older boy. Magnus carefully moved past her. “Franziska.” he acknowledged her. 

“Magnus,” she replied walking backward to eye him up and down before continuing her way into the school. 

Bartosz, Jonas, and Annalise stood back to watch her walk away in awe with what had just happened. 

Just as Franziska was out of range, Martha looked at her brother disgusted, “You got a crush on her now or what?” 

“Shut up,” Bartosz muttered under his breath. 

Annalise chuckled and murmured, “So it’s mutual. I see.” 

When Magnus ignored her, she said, “Hey, idiot.” 

“Okay, what the hell.” 

The other boys started to ‘Woah’ at Martha and Magnus. Starting to get into the middle of the near fight, Jonas said, “Let’s go to the caves tonight and look.” 

Bartosz gently slapped his friend’s shoulder, “Yeah dude.” He did his handshake with Magnus before taking Martha’s hand and walking ahead, “Come on.” 

Jonas stood there and watched as the other three walked for a moment. He was completely lost staring at the sight in front of him that he nearly panicked at Annalise bumping her shoulder against Jonas’s. 

“Do you live at school or are you coming,” Annalise teased as she started to urge him to walk with her. 

Jonas laughed a bit while shaking his head, “Yeah. Thanks.” 

The rest of the group was so far ahead at that point that Annalise decided to try to make some conversation. She smiled at Jonas and walked ahead of him a bit so she could walk backward and face him, “So, you know the first time I got here, I wasn’t used to so many men speaking German. In fact, I was a bit afraid of German.” 

Jonas looked up and raised a brow at her, “Yeah?” He didn’t one hundred percent want to be rude since she was Martha’s friend, but he really didn’t know where she was going with telling him this. 

Annalise smiled and continued with her story, “Well, when I was first moving here for the program, I heard that Katharina was going to pick me up. So I was waiting for her when a tall authoritative intimating man walked up and started speaking to me in full German.” She started laughing, “I knew what he was saying, but I couldn’t help it. I just started crying right there in the middle of the airport. Everyone just kept staring at Ulrich and me until someone asked what was wrong. You should have seen his face.” Annalise doubled over laughing at her recollection. 

Jonas smiled and chuckled. He couldn’t help but feel a bit more cheerful after seeing her eyes sparkle. Her laugh infected him and before he knew it he was laughing as well even though he didn’t even think the story was that funny. He just really enjoyed the fact someone was putting so much effort into making him feel normal again. Jonas looked at her again. It was as if she was made of vibrant colors and radiating it outwards. The pinkish-orange hue that she emitted from just existing in his life was like watching the most beautiful sunset. 

Annalise finally was able to stop laughing as they got where they needed to part ways so that way she could pick up Mikkel and then head home. They stopped and looked at each other for a moment. “Please don’t tell anyone I told you that,” She plead with him jokingly, “Bartosz would never let me live it down.” 

“I won’t,” Jonas nodded. He laughed. 

Annalise laughed again and said, “Jonas. Don’t laugh! Makes me think you are going to tell him as soon as I’m gone.” 

Jonas continued to laugh, “What do you want me to do about that, you’re laughing too. You stop first.” 

“Promise me, Jonas,” Annalise giggled. 

The boy wiped happy tears away from his eyes, “I promise.” 

“I promise what,” She dogged him. 

“I promise,” Jonas smiled, “that I won’t tell them so that they will make fun of you. Only I get that.” 

Annalise shook her head, “See you later asshole.” She giggled and blushed as she walked away. 

Jonas watched her leave. He walked towards his house still watching her. “See you later,” he whispered under his breath as he waved towards her leaving form before he turned around to continue walking back home before the meetup. 

Annalise touched her tree of life necklace. Its silver comforted her as she waited for Mikkel to walk over to her. She scanned to try to find the little boy who had grown to be like a little brother to her. Her heart felt scared knowing she was going to keep Ulrich’s secret from him. It was for the best, but she never wanted to lie to him. 

When Mikkel spied Annalise, he smiled and ran up to her. He gave her a forceful hug that made them have to spin to keep balance. He yelled, “Lise! You came to pick me up!” 

Annalise smiled and said, “Yeah I wanted to be the one to walk you home before Magnus took you to Heide’s.” She laughed as she held the boy, “So you will never guess who I met today.” She grabbed Mikkel’s hand so that they could walk together. 

Mikkel laughed, “Did you finally meet Jonas?! He’s great, huh?” 

Annalise ruffled the boy’s hair with her other hand, “Yeah.” She didn’t notice the pink painted on her face until Mikkel spoke up. 

“You’re blushing,” He teased, “Do you like him?” 

Annalise unconvincingly scoffed, “What? Me? I just met him.” Her face glowing. 

The young boy laughed and concluded, “So you do like him.” 

“Well, he isn’t not handsome,” She conceded with the boy letting the truth out about her feelings just a little bit. 

When they got home, Annalise hurried upstairs to get freshened up. Martha was just about to leave but decided to wait for her friend. Martha looked at her and asked, “Wanting to impress someone now?” 

Annalise blushed and finished up freshening up. She turned to her friend and asked, “Are we going?” 

Martha nodded and asked, “Can you pick up some drinks from the convenience store since we are so early?” 

Annalise made a face but agreed to anyway. She walked to the convenience store. She wandered down the isles and grabbed a six-pack of the mini plastic bottled Coca Cola’s and grabbed two tall glass Coca Colas. She smiled as she walked back towards the train tracks where she was going to meet back up with Martha. 

Then she heard voices. She squinted and snuck closer making sure they didn’t hear her. “Where are Bartosz and the others,” asked a boy’s voice. Annalise surmised it must have been Jonas’s. It was similar and very fluid like the way he spoke. 

“Late.” Martha responded, “As always.” This made Annalise want to wring her neck, but the girl stayed silent to listen. “The thing with Bartosz…” 

Jonas quickly interrupted sounding panicked, “It’s okay. You don’t need to explain.” 

“But I want to,” Martha replied to him. She started to sound like she was holding back tears, “I wrote you a text while you were away. Not just one. But I never sent them. It all sounded wrong somehow. What happened between us last summer…I...” Martha trailed off. 

Jonas spoke up once more, “It’s really okay.” It didn’t sound okay. They were silent again. Annalise was just about to reveal herself when Jonas started again, “Something up? They were both lightly laughing now. This really hurt Annalise for some reason. 

“I think I’m having deja vu,” Martha explained, “The light, the forest. As if all of this has already happened before.” 

Jonas looked around looking right past Annalise with no notice. He looked back towards Martha with a small chuckle and a shrug, “A glitch in the matrix.” 

Martha asked confused, “What?” 

“If the world is a simulation,” Jonas explained, “deja vu is a glitch in the matrix.” 

“Or a message from the other side,” Martha retorted, “I read that somewhere.” 

Annalise felt very awkward watching such an intimate moment. For some reason, her heart ached a bit hearing them talk so easily. Part of the girl honestly wanted to just leave and go home. Have nothing to do with any of this. 

Then Mikkel and Magnus walked near her. The younger boy noticed the girl hiding from the other two. Mikkel smiled as he linked his arm with Annalise’s and made her walk up with him. 

“Hey, what the hell,” Martha asked Magnus. 

He quickly replied, “Parents’ meeting. Heide’s got a stomach bug. I’m stuck with him.” 

“Hi, Jonas,” Mikkel pulled away from the girl, “Ultimate fist bump?” He held out his fist to the older boy. 

Jonas smiled and gave the boy a quick fist bump. 

Annalise looked to Martha and Magnus then offered, “I can go home and stay with him if you want me to.” 

Martha shook her head and looked towards her brother who responded with, “You take him back.” Magnus looked straight at Martha. 

“Relax guys,” Mikkel interrupted, “I’m not a baby anymore.” 

Bartosz, then, jogged up. “What is the idiot doing here,” he asked swatting Mikkel behind the head. 

“Hey,” Annalise pulled Mikkel more towards her. 

“Yeah,” Magnus agreed, “Only I can do that, okay?” Then he swatted his little brother behind his head. Annalise made a face as Mikkel complained that it hurt. She pulled the boy closer to her and gave him a plastic bottle coke while covering one finger over her lips. Magnus flipped his flashlight in his hand and held the light up to his face before saying, “Let us go.” 

Mikkel looked up at Annalise as everyone started to follow Magnus, “Thank Lise.” 

“It’s no problem Mikkel,” She grabbed a glass one out of the bag for herself. She opened it and turned to Jonas, “Do you want one?” 

Jonas smiled gently, “Yeah. Thanks.” He took the other glass bottle from her and held it towards her so that she could open it. 

Finally hearing the noise of a Coca Cola being opened, Bartosz turned around, “Oh nice! Thanks Anna.” He grabbed the bag from her hoping to find more of the glass bottles then turned towards her, “Did you only get two of those?” 

Annalise smiled coyly at the boy, “It’s not like I was paid to get everyone a glass one. First come, first serve.” She clinked her bottle with Jonas then took a sip just to spite the boy. 

Bartosz rolled his eyes, “Whatever.” He turned back around to continue walking with his arm around Martha howling at the moon with the others. 

Jonas looked at the two wistfully and Annalise bumped his shoulder, “Come on.” She coaxed him into walking with her as a pair in the back. 

It wasn’t too long once they entered the woods that the group started to walk more in a line across. Mikkel was the first to speak up again, “What do you guys think happened to Erik?” He walked with his older brother then continued, “Kids in our class ae saying someone kidnapped him and has him locked up in a basement.” 

Magnus rolled his eyes, “Oh shut up. He just ran away.” 

Martha used this opportunity to look at Jonas once more. 

“But it could be that he’s locked up somewhere and can’t get out,” Mikkel explained his side. “Why would someone do that? Lock someone else up?” the boy asked. 

“It’s like the witch in Hansel and Gretel,” Bartosz tried to joke, “When she gets hungry, she has something to eat.” 

Martha held back a laugh and hit her boyfriend much to the displeasure of Mikkel. She shook her head then replied, “No, Even if Mom and Dad tell you that most people are nice, there are people out there who are anything but nice.” 

Magnus and Annalise both spoke up. 

“Like your sister,” the oldest boy said. 

“Like Bartosz,” the girl had said at the same time as the boy. 

They turned towards each other and laughed as Martha complained, “You idiots.” 

Jonas then spoke up, “My father said good and evil are a question of perspective.” He looked around seeing everyone suddenly quieter and a bit awkward. He joked, “Dead father, bad topic?” 

Mikkel spoke up once more to get the topic back on track, “And if Erik is no longer alive? If he’s lying dead somewhere and no one finds him? That would be the worst. Even if you’re dead, you want to be found.” 

“No one is dead and no one won’t be found, okay,” Martha angrily said clearly tired of the conversation, “Can we please change the topic now?” 

Bartosz smiled deviously and said, “Annalise has been awfully quiet during this exchange. Why not we pick on her for a little bit?” 

Annalise rolled her eyes, “You’re only mad that you didn’t get a glass bottle. Here, if you want it so badly take mine.” She held it out to the boy who quickly took it and returned the back of plastic mini bottles to her. 

“Thank you,” Bartosz teased getting hit again by Martha, “Ouch. What?” 

Jonas looked towards Annalise and held out his bottle, “I didn’t drink too much of it if you still want some from the bottle. I saw that you only took like one sip of yours.” 

Annalise smiled and joked, “Thanks, I’d much prefer to share an indirect kiss with anyone else.” She was just about to press the bottle to her lips before she realized what she had said then paused. She tried to hand it back to Jonas. 

Jonas, trying to ignore his own blush, said, “No. It’s okay.” He smiled, “It’s just funny that you would say that.” 

Annalise took a quick sip before handing the bottle back to Jonas, “Why? Is it weird I don’t want to kiss my best friend’s boyfriend?” 

Jonas laughed, “No. I think it’s just funny that it was your first thought. It makes me think you’ve thought about it before.” 

“Ew,” Annalise shook her head, “That’s Bartosz you’re talking about. That’s disgusting.” She blushed and mumbled, “maybe someone else but not Bartosz really.” 

Jonas chuckled and drank some of his drink himself. 

“I’m bored, can we go home,” Mikkel complained as they passed the nuclear power plant. 

“We are almost there,” Bartosz explained. 

Jonas stood in front of the gates and stared. Strangely enough, he felt as if all of this had happened before as well. He was lost in this thought when he felt a small gentle pressure next to him and a girl’s voice call to him. 

“Jonas,” Annalise tried to snap the boy out of his trance. “The others are leaving us.” 

Jonas stared back at the plant then nodded following her once more. 

It wasn’t long before the group finally made it to the caves. Bartosz called for everyone to split up to look for the drugs. He, himself, went to the chair it was normally in and looked. 

Magnus called to him, “And?” 

“Fuck, dude,” Bartosz replied, “It was here.” 

A girl’s voice called over to the group, “Looking for this?” Everyone turned to see that it was Franziska holding the drugs and what looked like a burner cell. 

“What is she doing here,” Martha complained. 

“That’s mine,” Bartosz told Franziska. 

Franziska sneered, “The definition of ownership says, ‘the possession is nine-tenths of the law,’ so it’s mine for now. But I’m selling. What’ll you give me for it?” 

Bartosz pretended to think for a moment before moving to push her, “A kick in the ass.” 

“What’s in here is easily worth 500,” she said pulling the drugs away from him, “It’s yours for 200. Daddy’s got plenty of money.” She tormented him. 

Bartosz pushed the redhead and said, “Stop the bullshit.” He growled, “Just give it to me.” 

Magnus shifted trying to hold back his anger at his sister’s boyfriend as Bartosz took the drugs away from Franziska. 

As Bartosz walked away, he sang songed, “Jackpot.” 

Franziska was just on her way closer to the group when there was a loud noise that came from within the cave. It sounded as if a door had opened inside of it. “What’s that,” Magnus asked terror unhidden from his voice. 

There was a noise that sounded not too far from the group that made all of them turn to look. Martha spoke up, “Someone’s there.” 

“Oh, shit!” the oldest boy whispered. 

The noises continued making everyone turn. Then everyone’s flashlights started to flicker while looking towards the cave. 

Everyone started to panic. It wasn’t long before Magnus yelled for everyone to run and go. 

The rest of the group turn and ran leaving Mikkel and Jonas behind. Jonas quickly grabbed Mikkel’s hand and told the boy, “Come on.” He ran with Mikkel through the woods. Jonas tried to keep the boy ahead of him as he kept turning back to see if anyone was chasing them. 

Annalise looked around realizing that Jonas and Mikkel weren’t with them and turned back quickly. 

Jonas tripped in the woods. He tried to stumble and crawl his way back up. He turned and tried to call out, “Mikkel?” He yelled out, “Mikkel!” When he turned again, the boy saw his dad covered in black liquid. Jonas started to panic even more. He fell again before he was fully able to run away from the terrifying fright. 

Annalise heard Jonas’s call and ran towards it, “Jonas?” She called. She started to hear footsteps as if they were running towards her. “Jonas?!” She called afraid. 

Jonas soon revealed that it was him and grabbed her, “Lise, come on!” His iron grip pulled her with him as they ran out of the forest. He never let go of her wrist. 

“Where’s Mikkel,” she called to Jonas over the falling rain that had started to drench them. When he didn’t answer her she called to him, “Jonas, where’s Mikkel?!” 

He asked, “Is he not with the rest of the group?” He stopped only for a split second to ask her. His chest heaving from running so much. 

“I don’t know, I came looking for y’all,” She yelled over the rain. Thankfully the rain hid her tears from him. 

Jonas shook his head and started to pull her towards the exit again, “He must be with the others.” 

When the rest of the group got to the bridge, Bartosz hit Magnus’s chest, “What the fuck, man! What was that?” 

Magnus yelled, “No idea. Shit!” He looked towards Franziska and Martha that had finally caught up to them. 

“Man, what was that,” Martha yelled as the other girl thrashed around as if looking for something or someone. 

Magnus finally had a moment of clarity and yelled, “Where’s Jonas, Lise, and Mikkel?!” 

Right on time, Jonas emerged from the forest dragging Annalise behind him. He sprinted to get to the rest of the group causing Annalise to trip. He stopped to help her up only to run back to them. 

“Where’s Mikkel,” Magnus asked the two. Jonas and Annalise tried to take a moment to breathe. When they didn’t respond Magnus yelled, “Where is Mikkel?” 

Annalise started to sob. Jonas replied, “Why isn’t he with you?!” 

Martha yelled back at Jonas, “He was with you!” 

“Shit,” Magnus yelled before running and calling for his brother in vain, “Mikkel! Mikkel!” 

Everyone else ran after him. Annalise stopped and pulled out her phone. She quickly called the police and said, “H-h-hello. I think my brother has gone missing in the Winden woods. We’ve been calling for him, but he won’t respond.” 

The police then instructed her to gather everyone else so that way they could stay together and accounted for. They then asked who was with her. Annalise started to give everyone’s names and the police then notified the parents. 

All the teenagers split up into groups so that way the adults had an easier time finding who was who’s. 

Ulrich ran to his son and daughter who had started to make their way towards their father. Charolette and Regina comforted their respective children. Annalise stood behind Jonas still sobbing and shaking as Hannah ran to her son and held him. Jonas turned back towards Annalise and extended his hand to lace his fingers with hers. He pulled her close to him as she tried to calm herself. Hannah instinctively grabbed onto Annalise to pull her into the hug as well. 

Ulrich, when Katharina finally arrived, ran his way through the woods calling for his son. 

The next morning, everyone was just in shock. Annalise turned to look at Jonas. Hannah had let her stay with them that night to let the Nielsens’ have some family time alone. Lise had end up sneaking in with Jonas after asking if it was alright because neither one of them could really sleep. They just lay there breathing next to each other staring up at the ceiling not knowing what to say or do.


	2. Chapter 2

Nine hours had passed since Mikkel’s disappearance. A man with an older looking suitcase overlooked the police canvassing. His dirty scruffy face bent down to scoop up a dead bird. 

Jonas shot up from his bed. He looked next to him to see Annalise missing. He threw off his duvet. He guessed it must have all been a dream. Tinnitus ringing in his ear caused him to walk towards his mirror. He turned to check his ear to see black liquid flowing out of it. Jonas studied it on his fingers for a moment trying to figure out what exactly it was. It almost seemed like ink or like a waste product of some sort. 

“Jonas,” a haunting familiar voice called to him. The boy used his mirror and turned it to be met with the face of his father covered in the black liquid dripping down from him. 

Jonas shot up. His breathing was hard and unsteady. He swallowed his breath as he checked his ear to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming again. As he looked down at his hand, he realized there was the sound of soft breathing next to him. He turned quickly to see that Annalise was there. His terror slowly subsided as her gentle energy embraced him once more. His half-lidded blue eyes studied her. They must have fallen asleep not too long ago. As he made a move to carefully leave his bed, Jonas heard a faint whimper. 

Magnus stood in the woods. He didn’t know exactly what he was doing there, but he felt like he needed to be there, for Mikkel. He just wanted his little brother back. His heart wounded from despair. He looked up hearing a noise to spy Franziska walking towards him. 

Franziska just looked at the boy who stood in her way for a moment. This moment was unwieldy for her. What was she supposed to say to him? What did he want her to say? Those questions rushed around in her head. Instead of trying to dwell on it, she just tried to move past him. 

Magnus quickly grabbed onto the smaller girl and pushed her against a tree. “What were you doing there,” he asked angrily. 

The girl complained, “Ouch! Are you crazy?” She studied Magnus’s face. It was full of turmoil. A face that was filled to the brim with emotions he didn’t know how to let out and where to properly put them. 

“What were you doing,” He rephrased his question. 

Franziska pursed her lips for a second getting more annoyed at his questioning. She stared at him and answered honestly, “I heard you guys talking at school. About the caves… And Erik’s drugs… So I thought… I don’t know what I thought.” She looked down at Magnus’s lips then back into his eyes. 

Magnus started to shake before he let her go. He just stared at her trying to understand his life. 

“I’m sorry about Mikkel,” she said finally understanding the words she wanted to say to him. But in the end, Magnus just turned angrily to storm away leaving Franziska there to watch him go. 

Annalise wept as she slept. She kept reliving losing Mikkel in between her fond memories with him. First, she woke up in her bed with Mikkel huddled next to her from the night before. The poor young boy had gotten scared from a horror movie the three teenagers had been watching. Mikkel, not wanting to get anyone in trouble, had tried his other siblings who both turned him away before Annalise had welcomed him into bed. She could still remember his squeaked, ‘Thank you, Lise.’ After watching him sleep gently, the scenery slowly changed around them to the two of them in the woods. Mikkel curled up in the dirt and leaves shivering and crying. He was in the red puffy coat and the silly skeleton outfit that he loved so much. Annalise tried to call for him, but her ears just filled with Mikkel’s cries. He never responded to her but just kept crying out for help. Annalise started to see dark liquid start to drain and puddle around him. His cries became more desperate. 

Jonas couldn’t take seeing her crying softly. He gently leaned over her. He rubbed her shoulder. “Annalise,” he whispered her name. He watched as her face contorted into more anguish. Jonas filled with panic. He gently shook her awake and in a harsh hushed voice demanded to her, “Annalise.” 

Annalise slowly awakened by a force and voice. Her face was wet. She wiped her eyes and sat up. She looked to her side to realize just what had happened and how close she was to the sweet boy who took her in. She sniffled and scoot back, “sorry. I didn’t realize.” 

“It’s okay,” Jonas soothed, “I had fallen asleep too.” His lips forced a small gentle smile, “I guess we both are having a rough time.” 

Annalise forced a small giggle to escape her. Jonas noticed once more that she wasn’t just muted color like everyone else. Her sunset tones filled him with comfortability even as she teased, “Did you just imply that we wouldn’t?” 

Jonas actually smiled and nodded, “Yeah. I guess I did.” He laughed at himself. There was nothing else they could have done, he told himself. They sat awkwardly for a moment. He looked her over again. He didn’t know how to feel when he remembered that Hannah had given the girl some of her own pajamas to borrow while there. They were rather baggy and big on the small-statured teen. 

Martha stared at the pictures on the counter as she laid on the couch with her head in Katharina’s lap. “When Dad’s brother disappeared, how old was he,” she asked. 

The picture of Mads and Ulrich they had given to Jana in 1986 for Mother’s day sat in between the pictures of the Nielsen’s and another with Annalise with the family for Halloween when they all matched costumes from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ for Mikkel. Mikkel had a cool trick to actually simulate the Wizard’s, Martha dressed as Dorothy, Magnus and Ulrich being the scarecrow and tin man in their respective order, Annalise dressed as the Lion seeming to be having a lot of fun, and Katharina as the Good Witch. They all seemed to be having a lot of fun. Mikkel was right in the center of all of them with a giant grin that he had gotten his family to do a giant group. Little did they know that it was going to be his last Halloween. 

Katharina stared at the pictures and said, “Your father was 15. Mads was three years younger.” 

Martha looked up at her mother, “And he was never found?” 

Katharina started to play with her daughter’s hair hoping to just let the question and the distressing conversation drop. 

“We talked about Erik,” Martha continued, “In the forest. Mikkel thought that was the worst. When someone isn’t found.” 

Katharina comforted her daughter and herself, “Mikkel’s coming back. Definitely.” 

Annalise shifted uneasily under Jonas’s gaze. She asked, “Got a problem Kahnwald?” 

Jonas nodded, “Yeah. Those clothes are too big for you.” 

This caused the girl to blink. He was just so honest about it. She looked down at Hannah’s sleepwear and asked, “Is it really that bad?” She looked up at him, “I can go change.” 

Jonas shook his head, “I think my mom said something about washing the clothes from last night.” He swallowed hard. His mind started to piece together how he was sounding. He blushed and shot up to walk to his wardrobe. He absentmindedly rambled as he looked for some clothes, “I think I have some old clothes that may fit you though. They are from before I went to the hospital so they are a bit too small for me now.” “

You were in the hospital,” Annalise questioned. She started to look around his room. It was messy as normal teenaged boys’ rooms were but something stood out to her. A pill bottle. She studied it for a second before turning her attention back to the blond. 

Jonas replied back without thinking, “Yeah. My first day officially back was yesterday.” He finally found what he was looking for and stopped. He turned horrified now fully aware of his mistake. 

Annalise blinked, “I thought Bartosz said you were in France.” Her brow furrowed as she tried to put the pieces together herself. It wasn’t long before she gasped and exclaimed, “That’s why you didn’t text Martha or talk to anyone! You couldn’t!” She shook her head then asked, “But, why didn’t you tell anyone?” 

Jonas slid himself down to sit onto the floor, “Why would I want to?” 

Annalise sat next to him. She sighed and rest her head against his shoulder, “I get it. I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to.” 

Jonas nodded. He let his head fall back to look up at the ceiling, “Thanks.” 

They sat there in silence for a little bit. Their breathing synchronized. Time stood still as the two teenagers just tried to process their life leading up to this moment. Being together alone with practically a stranger that was somehow closer than any other person in the world right at that moment. 

Jonas spoke up first again, “Do you ever feel like you were just meant to meet someone?” 

Annalise looked up at the ceiling with him and asked, “What do you mean?” 

“I mean,” Jonas motioned with his hand at nothing, “Just someone that you meet and it changes your entire life. Better, worse… whatever. Just someone who changes you.” 

Annalise looked up at the boy and took a deep breath, “My dad used to say, ‘We are lead to those who help us most grow if we allow them and we help them out too.’ So I guess I know the feeling.” 

Jonas sighed, “He sounds like a wise man. You must miss him.” 

“I’ve missed him every day for a while,” Annalise explained, “My dad died not too long ago too. Probably what drew me to come here.” 

Jonas swallowed a breath. Tears started to fall from his eyes, “You think…”He couldn’t complete his sentence. It didn’t seem as though he needed to though. 

Annalise nodded, “Yeah.” She turned and reached around to give the boy a hug. She buried her face in his shoulder to hide the fact she was starting to cry as well. She started to laugh though thinking about something Jonas had said the night before. She pulled away from him with a warm smile through tears, “What? Dead dad, bad topic?” 

Jonas burst into laughter. His entire body shook with his entertainment. His eye squeezed close from the force of his smile. 

Hannah must have heard the laughing from downstairs because she called “How come I haven’t heard either one of you go clean yourselves up yet? I didn’t offer Annalise to stay here for you two to be joking around.” She puffed out her chest. She honestly had taken Annalise in knowing that Ulrich would come to check up on the teenager eventually. It just gave her even more of an excuse to be alone with the man. 

Jonas rolled his eyes, “I’ll go first that way I can get the water warmed up for you.” He laughed then walked towards the direction of the bathroom. 

Annalise called after him, “That sounds more like you are going to take all the warm water for yourself.” 

Hannah looked up the stairs seeing the two teens playfully teasing each other. She rolled her eyes and called to Annalise, “Come here. We need to make a list of what we are going to need to pack from the Nielsen’s to get you moved here for a few days.” 

Annalise nodded, “Yes ma’am.” She hurried down the stairs to do the activity Hannah had asked of her. 

The cool water was just what Jonas needed to calm down. He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to focus on making sure he was clean. As the shower warmed though, he felt his heart start to race once more. Images of Martha and Annalise spun in his head. He could barely concentrate for long. He quickly turned the water off and panted as he looked at himself in the mirror. He quickly dried off, brushed his teeth, changed, and walked out. He called down towards where he heard Annalise’s voice and called, “Your turn! You need help?” 

Hannah blushed. She called upstairs to her son, “What would Annalise need help with? It’s a shower! Not a group project.” 

Annalise stifled a laugh. Her snort had caused both Kahnwald’s to look at her. Annalise lifted her hand, rushed past Jonas on the stairs, “Sorry. I’m going to go.” 

Jonas watched as Annalise closed the door and argued, “To make sure she knew how to use our shower. Some people have different ones.” 

“Oh, you think the Nielsen’s have a different shower,” Hannah replied flushed. 

Jonas shook his head, “What are you talking about?” He rolled his eyes. The boy used this time to go into his father’s shop. Talking with Annalise finally made him feel ready to be there again. The boy wanted to have some time to himself just surrounded by Michael. He walked in and sat right in the middle of the room. 

Warm water refreshed Annalise more than she could describe. She lathered her hair and body in shampoo and soap to get the grime off of her. The feeling of being clean intoxicated her. She hummed happily as the water washed away the forest from her. As the water started to cool, her brain started to fill with images of Jonas. Her heart raced. Her hand rushed to end the shower to stop those thoughts from happening. Her chest heaved as she tried to calm herself down. She wrapped her hair up and brushed her teeth. Then she got dressed into Jonas’s old clothes and walked out. 

Across town, the bearded stranger walked out of the shower. His things scattered across Regina’s eighth hotel room. He dried off his hair as he kept the memory of his loved one close in his mind. She would have been getting out the shower about now right? He looked over to the time. He had timed it right. He hummed to himself pleased with the little luxury he was able to give himself. He threw the towel for his hair onto the bed then went to look at his charts and diagrams on the wall. 

Jonas laid on the floor. His legs crossed. From above he was reminiscent of an angel. As the rain started, he decided to start to explore more of his late father’s workspace. He walked around. As he studied the closet, the boy noticed one of the boards slightly off kelter. He reached up to uncover its secrets to reveal a map of the Winden Caves. 

As it started to rain, Katharina found herself outside. She was just standing there her mind wandered through possibilities hoping for her baby to come home to her. The rain had forced Magnus to also return home. Katharina turned hearing the noise of someone walking behind her to see the tormented face of her eldest son. She turned back to look out into the rain. 

Magnus walked into his room to lament. He finally allowed himself to let out the agony he felt. He walked to his wall and just kept punching until he could feel something on the outside just as hurt as he felt on the inside. 

Martha looked out of her window. She longed for Mikkel just to be there and walk past the view of her window again. She looked down at her phone and sent Bartosz’s call straight to voicemail. 

When Annalise walked out, she realized she was completely alone. Jonas completely quiet and on his own somewhere in the house and it didn’t seem like Hannah was still there. The list they made was gone as well. Annalise made a face. She looked at her phone and figured now would be the best time to Face chat with her family. The girl holed herself into the room Hannah had put her in and started the call. 

Freida answered quickly and scolded her daughter in their native English language, “What is going on over there?! I got an email from Katharina that you are staying with a family friend because her son Mikkel disappeared?! Please tell me you are okay. You weren’t there were you?” 

“I’m fine Mom,” Annalise calmed her mother, “I-...” She looked off into the distance hearing shuffling inside of the house. “Hold on,” Annalise put her phone down and walked out to see what the noise was. 

Jonas was trying to scramble into his room without anyone noticing but he heard the door open near him. The boy looked then let out a breath relieved. He smiled, “Hey Lise.” 

Annalise smiled, “Hey. I’m on the phone with my mom. Want to meet her? It’s only fair yeah?” 

His ears turned red but he nodded, “Yeah. Let me put this in my room real quick then I’ll be right there.” 

“I’ll leave the door open,” Annalise slipped her head back into the room. She did just as she said then settled into her bed. She lifted her phone back up. She took a second to remember to speak English again then said, “Sorry Mom. That was Jonas.” 

“Oh, the cute one yeah,” Freida laughed forgetting what had panicked her for the moment, “He’s going to come to say hi right? I’ll go get Zayde so he can be here too.” 

Annalise blushed, “Mom, really. There is no need.” She shook her head trying to convince her mother not to get her grandfather, “I only wanted him to meet you since it’s only fair because I know his mom and am staying here for a few days.” But it was no help, she had already gotten close to his chair for them to share the screen. 

Jonas smiled as he walked in. He laughed and settled in next to Lise leaning his back on the bed. “Hello,” Jonas tried his best to speak English, “My name is Jonas. It’s nice to meet you.” 

David looked at the blue-eyed blond boy sitting next to his granddaughter and spoke in German, “Oh, you think I can’t speak my native language?! Fuck you.” 

Freida tried to calm her father down and Annalise laughed. She looked at Jonas and said, “I should have warned you that my Zayde is from Winden, huh?” 

Jonas laughed and nodded, “Yeah. Rather than the first words out of his mouth being fuck you. I can see why German terrified you.” 

“We can hear you,” David replied. He spoke up again, “Anyway kid, this is my daughter Freida and that’s her daughter Annalise. I’m David. Don’t do anything to her. I know people in Winden.” 

“Yes Sir,” Jonas laughed. He looked towards Annalise who was just shaking her head. 

Annalise spoke up in English, “Anyway, we are safe. You know where I am and who I’m with. I’ll chat with all of you tomorrow. Bye Bye,” She waved. 

Jonas stuck his face in once more to wave bye as well. He chuckled. Just as he was about to say something to Annalise her phone made a small text received tone. He didn’t really want to pry but he was right there. ‘He is cute’ Her mom had texted her. He couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. 

Annalise’s face started to glow red she quickly texted back, ‘Mom, if he can speak English, what makes you think he can’t read?’ She looked at Jonas and apologized, “I’m sorry about that. She and I talk like every day so Martha had ended up talking to her at some point too and-” 

“It’s okay,” Jonas shook his head. He looked at the girl nervously. They sat there awkwardly for a second before Jonas spoke up, “Martha called me cute?” 

Annalise pushed him gently, “Go away, Jonas. God. Is that all you think about? Martha?” 

Jonas stood up forcing a laugh, “Sure. Why not?” His plan had worked, now he could go investigate the map on his own without worrying too much about Annalise. He walked out of the room and went inside his own. 

Hannah pulled up at the police station. She sighed and waited for Ulrich. He had to be back at his work sometime, she reasoned with herself. The woman walked to the waiting area and crossed her leg over the other. She watched the door. 

Drenched, Ulrich walked into the station. He was walking to his office when he spotted her. He turned and asked, “What are you doing here?” His hands finding themselves in his jacket pockets. 

“I wanted to see you. We have-” Hannah started. 

“Come on.” The man interrupted the woman by grabbing her arm and pulling her down to the archives. Once inside he asked her, “What is this? Why are you here?” 

Hannah shrugged a bit and replied, “I’m so sorry.” She stood for a second before she sighed. Hannah wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him close and kissed his jaw. She held him close for a second. She then moved to press their foreheads together. “Have you found out anything,” She asked. 

Ulrich had wrapped his arms around her in momentary weakness. He really needed to be held close after everything going on. His youngest son, his Mikkel, was gone with no explanation and no trace. Ulrich simply shook his head and tried to hold back his sorrow. He pulled up his face in a moment of clarity. When he did though, Hannah took that as a sign to try and kiss him. As the woman tried to continue, Ulrich whispered against her lips, “Stop it, please.” He pleaded with her, “Please.” 

Hannah pulled her face away in slight annoyance. She took a step back from him and looked up a the tall man. 

“I can’t do this,” Ulrich explained, “Not now.” He reached over to move some of the hair out of Hannah’s face. He watched her as she looked around feeling guilty about what had just transpired. His heart still aching, Ulrich reasoned, “I’ll call you, okay?” He pulled away completely and walked out of the room leaving Hannah just standing there. 

Annalise used this time to try and text her friend. She really didn’t know what to say other than, ‘I love you. If you need me, I’m here.’ She stared at the picture of her and Martha in her contact picture. Annalise, then, went to the full photo to go and look through the pictures she had with the Nielsen’s. Seeing all of them happy, laughing, completely unaware of the future turmoil made Annalise start to cry again. She zoomed in on Mikkel. He was such a great kid. He had a popsicle stain all around his mouth and a big old cheesy toothy grin. Annalise then allowed more of the picture in the frame to see Magnus holding his little brother up in the air about to toss him back in the water at Martha who was, despite trying to look annoyed, had big sparkles in her eyes. Annalise laughed through her tears. 

Jonas’s hands traced over the map he had found in his father’s studio. He carefully started to read all of the text written on it. It seemed as though his father was exploring and trying to make his way through the caves. Something seemed very off to him when he was studying it. His fingers went to the anomaly that read, ‘Where is the Crossing?’ 

Bartosz was getting frustrated. Martha wasn’t contacting him back. He looked around. The boy hated this feeling. He was alone. Completely alone. He looked at his phone deciding that desperate times meant to do desperate measures. He pressed Annalise’s name and tried to call her. 

Annalise stared at the picture only to have a surprising thing happen. Why was Bartosz Tiedemann calling her, she questioned. She declined the call and texted him, ‘What do you want?’ 

Bartosz stared at his phone. Another straight to voicemail. He growled. He was just about to throw his phone when he saw her text. He walked back to his sofa and texted her, ‘Can you tell Martha to call me back?’ 

Annalise rolled her eyes. Of course, she thought. She texted the boy back, ‘She hasn’t talked to me either. I’m not there anyway. I’m at Jonas’s.’ 

Bartosz scrunched his nose. Why was she there, he thought to himself. He shook his head and decided to just investigate and get the answer himself, ‘Why?’ 

Annalise’s brow furrowed. Did he just, the girl questioned. She rolled her eyes again, ‘Why do you care?’ 

‘I am worried about my girlfriend, thank you,’ Bartosz replied. 

Annalise texted back, ‘I think she needs her family right now. Not either of us. I really don’t think where I am makes a difference right now. Chill out. One of the things she asked us to do is be cordial towards each other so let’s just try to do that and wait for her to talk to us. She will come around eventually.’ 

Bartosz growled. That girl really knew how to push his buttons. He looked out the window. She’s right though, a tiny voice within him spoke. He shook his head and texted back, ‘Fine. If she texts you first, can you let me know how she’s doing? I’ll do the same for you.’ 

‘Deal.’ 

Hannah walked into the house to find both teenagers deathly quiet. She called up that she was home and started to make some food for herself. Footsteps started down the stairs. She turned to see her son standing there. He walked over to the counter and sat on it. Hannah pulled herself up and sat next to him to give him some company after lighting a few candles since the power wasn’t working again. Jonas started first, “Do you think they’ll find him?” 

“I hope so,” Hannah answered her son honestly. She stared at the refrigerator with her hands in her lap. 

Jonas looked towards his mother for guidance. He sat in silence for a minute before asking, “Do you think he had a secret?” He thought back to the maps that he found in his father’s studio. 

“Mikkel,” Hannah asked confused. She looked towards her son for his input. She wondered if he knew more than he let on. 

“No, Dad,” Jonas replied quelling all of his mother’s questions instantly but now creating new ones. Jonas thought of how to ask his question then asked, “Do you think he was keeping something from us?” 

“Why do you say that,” Hannah asked Jonas. She was growing more concerned for him. Maybe she had done too much or had him come back home a bit too early, she worried internally. Jonas sat trying to process everything going on. He let Hannah’s question drop to the floor then questioned, “Do you miss him?” 

Hannah lightly sighed, “I think I miss the notion of him.” She didn’t want to lie to her son and tell him she missed someone she really didn’t know if she did. She shook her head and told Jonas, “I don’t know who he really was. Maybe we never know that, what a person is really like.” 

Jonas looked at his mother, “Did you love him?” Right when he asked, the lights in the house illuminated once more. 

Hannah looked around noticing the lights then let out a small scoff at how ironic everything at this moment was. 

It wasn’t too long though before the lights of Winden started to flicker leaving most of the town confused. Birds started to fall from the sky once more. Dead instantly. 

The Stranger pinned up the news article about Mikkel on his board. The headline read, ‘Where is Mikkel?’ He stared at it, then the boy in the photo. He reached over to scribble his own inscription. He crossed out the ‘Where’ and replaced it with ‘When.’ He stood back to admire the new headline reading, ‘When is Mikkel?’ 

Mikkel climbed his way through the caves he was trapped in. He limped his way out of the cave. The boy looked around. Something seemed different about it and it wasn’t just because it was the morning. Mikkel just couldn’t place his finger on it. He decided instead to try and run home. He knew everyone would be worried about him. When he finally arrived, he started to notice other strange things. Vehicles parked that he had never seen before. On his way into the house, he stopped to look at an older fashioned motorcycle. He shook his head. He figured it must have just been people who were there helping his family look for him. Mikkel just tried to continue his way inside. When he walked up and tried his keys, it didn’t work. His eyes furrowed. It wasn’t long before a teenaged boy opened the door. Mikkel looked up at him and asked, “Who are you?” 

The teenager looked down at the strange boy with scrapes all over his face and chuckled a bit, “Why? Who are you?” 

“Mikkel,” the younger boy answered just as confused as the older boy in all of this, “I live here.” 

“Ulrich,” the teen laughed, “And I live here.” He watched as Mikkel swallowed hard, “You going to grow roots? You’re at the wrong house, fool.” 

A girl’s voice called him outside. She stood in the driveway, “Hey Ulrich. Come on, we need to go.” 

“Yes, Katharina, I’m coming,” Ulrich responded. 

Mikkel and Katharina stared at each other. Both of them trying to understand why it felt like they knew each other. 

Ulrich interrupted their staring content with, “Are you dense? You don’t live here.” He pushed past Mikkel and grabbed his bike. 

Katharina looked at Ulrich and asked, “Who is that?” 

Ulrich looked back and laughed. He turned to Katharina to tease, “The Grim Reaper. Can’t you tell?” Katharina gently popped Ulrich in the head causing him to complain, “Ouch! Katharina.” 

Mikkel watched as the two drove off. Katharina still looking back at Mikkel every so often. The boy then looked at the newspaper on the doorstep. The headline read, ‘Chernobyl - Half a Year Later.’ Mikkel started to panic as he looked at the date of the paper that read, ‘5. November. 1986.’ His mind focused completely on the year, ‘1986.’


	3. Chapter 3

Jana laid on the couch watching a commercial for Mads’s favorite candy bar called Raider. 

Mikkel blinked and decided to walk into the home. There must have been some mistake. This was just Martha and Magnus playing a joke on him with their friends and his family would be there waiting for him to give him a giant hug. Martha would be there apologizing for never paying attention to him. His brother would be there never letting him go. Katharina would be making his favorite sweets while she tended to his wounds. Ulrich finally getting him that magic set he was eyeing for a while...And Annalise would be there smiling and crying thanking everything that he was back home safe pressing her forehead against his. 

When he walked in, he was welcomed to no such sight. He walked into the dining and living room and called, “Mom” 

Jana looked up from the couch and responded, “Mads?” She desperately looked at the boy before her. 

Mikkel shifted uncomfortably, “Who are you? Where are my parents?” He felt so confused. This was his house. Why wasn’t everything making sense? 

Pitifully, Jana moved from around the couch and knelt to study the boy standing in her dining room. 

“Who are you,” Mikkel repeated. 

Jana held onto the boy and asked, “Do you know where he is?” Mikkel tried to pull away from the woman but she held onto the only thing that may be a clue to her own son having gone missing. “Do you know where Mads is?” she clarified for him. 

“You’re hurting me,” Mads protested. He kept trying to get away but Jana’s grip was one of a mother still clinging to the hope of finding her child. 

“Want are you doing here,” Jana pleaded, “Say something.” She finally allowed the strange boy to go. She fell back to sob to herself not fully believing any of this was real. Mikkel backed himself into the hallway and bolted to the front door to getaway. Jana bawled, “When is he coming back?” She lowered herself into a ball on the floor to cry. 

Ines walked into her work. The sounds of her shoes echoed throughout the white hallways. Her uniform was neat and orderly as always. She paced down the hall before a coworker commented, “Ines, can you do the night shift today too? Mrs. Schuttler’s daughter has a fever and I have to take Benni to soccer. Since you have no…” 

Ines stopped and turned. She interrupted the lady to confirm, “No family.” 

Her coworker sighed and tilted her head, “That’s not what I meant.” 

Ines laughed to ease the tension and commented, “It’s not a problem.” 

“Thanks. And please, don’t tell Dr. Reimann?” The lady called to her coworker’s leaving form. 

Ines stopped and turned once more to pantomime locking her mouth with a key and putting it into her pocket. “Mum’s the word,” she whispered with a small giggle. Her heart remembering the young boy who had taught her to do that. She wondered what he could be doing and where he could be. It had been at least thirty four years since she had last seen him. “Thanks.” 

Ines continued down the hall once more. 

Egon sat in his office listening to the radio berate him about Mads’s disappearance. He sat disheveled at his desk staring at all of the mess around him. His phone started to ring. He sighed then answered the phone, “Tiedemann.” He sat and listened before he asked, “Where?” He continued to wait then responded, “I’m on my way.” 

Claudia used her rearview mirror to put on her signature red lipstick. “In times like these...One must face one’s own fears.” She quoted to herself, “Because the future…” She looked down at her speech, “the future belongs to the bold. Not to the doubters, those forever stuck in the past.” She looked at her daughter with frizzy hair in the back. She shook her head and criticized, “Would you take a look at yourself? You can’t go to school like this.” Regina sat in the back of her mom’s car just looking out the window to the forest. Claudia continued, “Sometimes I think you have no idea what it is I do. Food, clothes, fencing classes. Who pays for all of that? And you can’t even bother combing your hair.” Claudia shook her head again. “Look at yourself. You look like a limp dishrag.” Fed up with her daughter’s silence she called back, “Hey, Regina, I’m talking to you. This is a huge deal for me, and I won’t let you spoil it. The board’s decision to entrust this post to a woman for the first time...” 

Regina just stared out the window wishing she was already at school. 

Mikkel walked to the high school hoping to find his mother, his siblings, or Annalise. He looked around. Everyone seemed to be dressed oddly. 

Katharina leaned against the lockers as she handed her friend a tape, “It’s awesome.” She commented then asked, “Know what the song’s about?” 

“No,” her friend answered. 

“A man who kidnaps a girl and takes her to the forest, just because she’s wearing red lipstick. In the end, he kills her,” The blonde explained. 

Hannah raised her brow but stayed silent as their other friend responded, “That’s heavy.” 

“My dad says lipstick is only for prostitutes,” Hannah, then, explained, “Anyway, I like Nino D’Angelo way more than Falco.” 

Katharina shook her head, “Hannah, you’re as square as they come.” 

Hannah smiled awkwardly. 

Their friend scolded, “Come on Katharina. Don’t be so nasty.” 

Mikkel slowly made his way to the small group of familiar seeming girls. He stared at them awkwardly. 

“What are you looking at,” Katharina addressed the boy, “Weren’t you at Ulrich’s place earlier?” 

Hannah looked at him and asked gently, “Are you new here?” 

Mikkel shook his head quickly. “I..” he started, “I’m looking for my mom.” 

Katharina smiled cockily at the boy, “This isn’t kindergarten.” 

“She’s the principal here,” Mikkel defended himself. 

Katharina’s eyes widened as she asked, “Mr. Hubert?” Hannah laughed as the blonde continued, “he may be a fag, but he’s certainly not a woman.” 

Mikkel looked down at the floor then back up at the girl, “Isn’t this Winden?” 

Katharina scoffed at him then started to make her way to class. As she passed him, she asked, “Aren’t you a bit young to drop acid?” 

Hannah deflected the conversation to ask, “You guys got history now?” 

Mikkel stood and watched them leave annoyed. He had no idea what was going on. 

Claudia pulled up to the nuclear power plant. She opened her door but stayed sitting in her car to put on her high heeled shoes. 

Helge looked up from sweeping the street of paint. He smiled seeing Claudia. He greeted her, “Morning, Claudia.” He had always admired her even as a child. 

“Morning,” Claudia tried to rush past him, but when she saw his sweet face she stopped to talk to him. He was just the same as the little boy she used to tutor. 

“Your first day as boss,” He happily commented. 

Claudia nodded and reaffirmed, “Yes.” 

Helge lightly chuckled and swayed with his broom, “My dad told me the board voted unanimously for you.” He sighed and shrugged before continuing, “I wanted… Congratulations.” 

Claudia smiled and nodded, “Thanks.” 

“I always knew something would become of you,” Helge continued. 

“Oh, Helge.” She nervously laughed. He was doing his weird Helge thing again, she thought to herself. 

Helge, then, said as he stopped her from leaving. “And I have…” He paused to pull out a nicely wrapped gift, “A present for you.” He smiled proudly at her. Claudia looked down anxiously. The man then explained, “It’s a book.” 

Claudia didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t expecting this at all even if it shouldn’t have surprised her that the man would go to such lengths. She just looked up and thanked him for it before looking back down at it. The stood awkwardly for a moment. Helge stared at her expectantly. Claudia smiled again, “Well, I’m running late. I have to get going.” 

Helge let the woman pass finally and called after her, “We’re all behind you, Cl..”Helge stopped himself shaking his head knowing that Claudia didn’t much care. The wet rustles of the broom against the pavement started up once more as he tried to remove the painted graffiti of ‘No Future’ from in front of the plant’s gate. 

“I came just before six t feed the animals and found this,” the farmer explained to Egon as the men stood in a field surrounded by a flock of unexplainable dead sheep. 

Egon asked, “Maybe a wolf?” 

The farmer looked up at the chief of police as if he was stupid, “No bite marks. Nothing.” 

Perplexed, Egon looked around the field of sheep corpses around him, “Poisoned?” He asked with a shrug. 

The man let out a small instinctual shrug and commented, “Yesterday they were lively as can be. First the thing with the boy, and now this. Such things didn’t use to happen here. Who would just kill 33 sheep? ‘Be on guard. Be alert. You do not know when that time will come.’ The Gospel of Mark, 13:33.” 

Egon nodded then shook his head, “Didn’t know you were a churchgoer.” 

The farmer nodded, “The parish has a new priest. A good man.” 

Egon stared at the man for a second then sighed looking down towards one of the sheep. The autumn trees behind them bare and the bright green grass being early the only color in the dreary field. 

Claudia stormed into the large building trying to get to her office. 

“Mrs. Tiedemann,” Her mousy secretary called to the woman boss as she rushed to catch up, “Mrs. Tiedemann. Tronte Nielsen from the paper is here, for the interview.” She smiled as Claudia looked back at her. She handed the other lady a binder, “and here are the figures from 1986 and 1985, as you requested.” The secretary watched as Claudia opened it up to examine the information. “They weren’t easy to get a hold of,” The woman admitted proud of her own hard work. When Claudia basically ignored her, she spoke up once more, “And congratulations again. I still can’t believe we have a woman as boss.” The woman cheerfully beamed. 

“Are you sure these are the right figures,” Claudia asked concerned with what she was looking at. 

Her secretary confirmed with a simple, “Yes.” 

Claudia slowly closed the binder and nodded to her secretary to let her know she did a good job and that she could leave her. Once the other lady left confused, Claudia went back to investigate the numbers. 

Egon sat in his office typing up his report. He still seemed to be learning how to use the modern typewriter. There was a small shuffle that came from the entrance to his office. Egon looked up to see a small boy in a dirty red puffy jacket over a skeleton costume. He looked at the dazed boy and asked, “What are you doing here?” 

Mikkel looked at the man. He blinked several times. Today was just getting weirder and weirder for him. “I…” He stumbled over his words until he got his footing, “I’m looking for my dad.” 

Egon smiled gently. He finally felt as if he could have a win in these dark times. His heart leaped happily at the thought of being able to help this boy. He asked, “What’s his name?” 

Mikkel took a breath and replied, “Ulrich Nielsen.” 

Egon’s brow furrowed. “Ulrich Nielsen?” he asked, “The Ulrich Nielsen?” 

Concerned, Mikkel asked, “Doesn’t he work here?” 

“No,” Egon replied, “And I’m certain he never will.” He looked at his report then back at Mikkel in disbelief, “Oh, so this is a joke? Was this Ulrich’s dumb idea?” He walked over to the boy and examined his scraped up face, “Did he do this?” Egon would be surprised if the teen would have beaten up a kid to make him go along with a stupid prank. He asked again, “Did Ulrich do this?” 

Mikkel shook his head quickly at the officer. He stared up worried. The realization started to hit him that this wasn’t just a joke. 

Egon stood up straight once more and asked, “What’s your name?” 

“Mikkel,” the small boy choked out. 

“Last name,” Egon asked with a shrug. 

“Nielsen,” Mikkel answered honestly, “I am Ulrich’s son.” 

Egon sighed and then asked, “Now tell me your parents’ real names and I’ll take you home.” 

Mikkel shook his head and then asked, “What’s the date?” 

“The 5th of November,” Egon replied with a shrug. 

Mikkel, then, asked, “What year?” 

Egon laughed figuring the boy had a sense of humor. He shook his head as he chuckled, “1986.” 

Mikkel took a step back. Everything was fully hitting him now. He repeated back the year to Egon. He, then, watched as Egon went to the phone to make a call. He listened as the man described him over the phone and asked for someone to come pick him up. 

After hanging up, Egon picked up his coat and explained to the child, “Someone will be coming to pick you up and take care of that.” He motioned to Mikkel’s injuries before continuing, “In the meantime, I’ll take care of Ulrich.” He walked past the boy and vowed, “He won’t hurt you again. I promise.” The man then closed the door behind him leaving Mikkel to sit and wait. 

Mikkel walked over to Egon’s desk and started to play with the Rubik’s cube. As soon as he solved it, he gently placed it down so that he could try calling his house. Sadly, he only got the robotic voice telling him that the number was not in service. Mikkel shook as he held back tears. The boy sat back down and tried to look around to find anything else to do. He found a lighter on the desk. He slowly pocketed it after checking if it still worked. Mikkel, then, spied a report on Egon’s desk about his Uncle Mads. He looked at it still processing that he was trapped in 1986. He looked at a picture of Ulrich and Mads that was near the exact one in his house. Hearing someone coming, Mikkel panicked and placed everything back before jogging to the front of the desk. 

Ines carefully walked into the room and greeted the boy. She walked a bit closer then explained, “I’m Nurse Ines. But you can just call me Ines.” Mikkel stayed quiet as he stared at the woman. She slowly approached him and knelt down to be eye to eye with him, “I’ll take you to the hospital now. We’ll take a look at your arm, okay? Then I will bring you home safe and sound.” She smiled gently and held out a hand. 

Meanwhile, Egon pulled up to the Nielsen’s. He tried the doorbell then knocking. When he got no answer, he slowly made his way inside the house. Rock music blared upstairs from inside the teenaged Ulrich’s room. Ulrich sat in his trashed room playing an old plug and play game when Egon walked in. Egon looked at the turntable and carefully removed the needle to get the boy’s attention. Ulrich sneered. His eyes looked him up and down before asking, “What are you doing here?” He stood up from his chair. 

Egon placed his hands in his pockets and quoted the song in English, “‘My only aim is to take many lives. The more the better I feel.’ Why do you listen to such stuff?” He walked closer to Ulrich, “The boy you sent, do you think that’s funny?” 

Confused, Ulrich shrugged, “What boy?” 

“Don’t think you’ll get away with this,” Egon threatened. 

Ulrich leaned over to sniff the man. He pulled away and commented, “Have you been drinking again?” 

Insulted, Egon asked, “Beg your pardon?” 

Ulrich repeated, “I asked if you’ve been drinking again?” 

“Who do you think you are,” Egon asked growing angry, “I want us to find your brother just as badly as you do.” 

Ulrich stood his ground and watched as Egon turned to leave. 

Egon, then, had something catch his eye. He picked it up. There he held a sheep’s hoof in his hand. He turned and showed it to Ulrich, “What’s this?” 

Growing annoyed, Ulrich responded, “A hoof. That’s obvious.” 

Egon grabbed the shirt of the boy and pulled him closer, “Did you do that on the pasture?” 

“What pasture,” Ulrich questioned. 

“Did you kill the sheep?” 

Ulrich started to raise his voice, “If you’d stop drinking your brain to mush, then Mads might be back by now.” 

Jana walked in hearing her elder son had raised his voice. She stood in the doorway with her hands crossed over her chest. She looked at the man surprised and asked, “Mr. Teidemann?” 

Egon let go of the teenager and slowly turned. Ulrich snatched the hoof back from the man. Egon tried to explain, “The door was open.” 

Jana nodded, “Because of Mads. He forgot his key.” 

Just to stir the pot, Ulrich lied, “Chief Inspector Tiedemann wants to update you on the investigation. They’ve got new findings. Hm?” Ulrich, then, sneered, “Exactly. You have nothing. Now kindly piss off!” The boy put away his hoof and turned his music back on before sitting back to continue his game. 

Egon carefully moved past Jana and walked downstairs to see himself out. Jana just stared at her older son grateful that she still at least had Ulrich. 

At the hospital, the doctor checked Mikkel’s vitals. Ines stood in the corner as the doctor took a look at the boy’s arm. “Everything’s in working order,” He commented. He then asked the boy, “How did this happen?” 

Mikkel remained silent in mourning his old life. 

“And you still won’t tell us your name,” The doctor asked the boy. A ring of a pager filled the room. The doctor looked down at it then told the boy, “Nurse Ines will bandage you up, okay? Then you can go back home.” He pet the boy’s head to try and comfort him before leaving. 

Ines stared down at the empty name and general patient information on the intake report. Her heart ached. She looked back up at the boy and slowly sat in front of him. Mikkel just couldn’t hold it in anymore. Tears started to fall from his eyes. He was never going to be able to have his life back. Ines’s heart wrenched. She caressed the boy’s face and comforted, “Don’t cry. Everything will be okay.” She forced a small smile at him. 

Claudia knocked on the door of the old director’s office. “Brend,” she called to him after opening the door, “I have to talk to you.” She walked into the office and closed the door behind her. She stormed to the retired man’s desk and slammed the binder she was carrying down. “Were you trying to slip this past me,” she accused. She angrily explained, “I said I need to know if there are skeletons in the closet.” 

Bernd sighed, “There are things that are worth knowing and things worth not knowing because you can’t change them anyway.” 

“What is this,” Claudia motioned with her hand. She opened up the report, “These are nothing like the reported figures. Here.” She looked up and nodded at him, “And here.” She looked up angrily again, “Everywhere. It’s been like that for three months now!” She motioned for him to speak to defend himself. 

The man asked, “Do you know what has changed since Chernobyl? People have lost faith. In us, in nuclear power. They saw the images and they can’t get them out of their heads. But fear is the worst enemy of progress.” 

Breathing hard, Claudia tried to piece together what he was trying to say. She shook her head, “So?” 

“How many people around here rely on the plant for their livelihood,” Bernd counterpointed. 

Claudia swallowed realizing now what he was saying. “We have 612 employees, excluding…” 

“Everyone!” Bernd corrected the woman, “And when you take over this job tomorrow, you’ll be taking on responsibility for the nuclear power plant, but you’ll also be taking responsibility for the entire town. And now tell me, was I wrong about you?” 

Claudia sighed. She crossed her arms across her chest then stated, “All the more reason for me to know just what this means. 

Egon stood in the morgue with the examiner who was opening up one of the sheep’s heads. The examiner droned on about how exciting and historical it was for Claudia to be taking over the plant. He tried to just focus back on the case, “So were they poisoned?” 

“Hardly,” the examiner chuckled, “All signs point to sudden cardiac arrest.” 

“Cardiac arrest,” Egon asked surprised. 

“Yes.” 

“All 33?” 

The examiner explained, “It’s common with sheep. They’re very sensitive creatures. If a few start to panic, the entire herd freaks out. It’s a vicious cycle. They just drop dead. Like flies.” 

Egon, then, asked, “And what could cause such a panic?” 

“All kinds of things,” the other man educated the officer. 

“A person,” Egon asked surprised. 

The medical examiner asked, “A single person?” He replied back, “Unless he’s Freddy Krueger, he’d have his work cut out for him.” 

Egon, still focused on Ulrich, asked, “Did one of the sheep…” He stopped and rephrased his question, “I mean, was one of them missing a hoof?” 

The medical examiner shook his head, “No. They are all as God created them.” 

The men had a bit of an exchange about if this could be Satanists when the examiner found something. His brow pushed together, “Strange.” He motioned for Egon to come to see, “Look here.” The medical examiner pointed to its eardrum, “The eardrums are ruptured. On both sides. Strange.” 

Claudia rolled Bernd into the woods to a place that he instructed. The man held out a yellow key to her and said, “What we know is a drop, what we don’t know is an ocean.” He then handed her a flashlight. 

Claudia opened up the gate that enclosed a natural cave system. She repelled down into it. Leaves rustled out of the way and screamed as her heels punctured them. She turned on the flashlight and tried to look around. 

Ines wrapped Mikkel’s hand and asked, “Won’t you tell me your name and where you live?” Mikkel stayed quiet so she asked, “Don’t you want to go home? If something happened at home… You can stay here for now.” 

Mikkel refused to look at her. He was just trying to focus on not crying. Magnus and Martha would have made fun of him for crying. What was it that Annalise used to do that would stop him from crying? Agony struck him while he started to realize he was starting to forget little things. Or was it that he never actually fully appreciated them so he never paid full attention in the first place. He longed for Katharina’s arms to wrap around him. 

Ines finished her work and told the boy, “If you want to talk, I’m here.” She held his hands in hers and gently rubbed his wrists with her thumbs, “I’m on the night shift too.” Seeing the boy not letting up from the ground he stood on, she placed some comics down on the bed for him and explained, “Here, something to read.” 

“I’ve come from the future,” Mikkel explained as she walked away. 

Surprised, Ines turned and asked, “What did you say?” 

Mikkel turned to look at her and repeated, “I come from the future.” 

Ines started to fill with fear. Her eyes darted down to the comics she had placed on the bed seeing that they were called, ‘Captain Future.’ She started to sigh thinking that the boy was just familiar with the comics and not actually telling her the absolute truth that he actually came from the year 2019. 

Claudia made her way through the dark caves. She kept walking until she found it. Copious amounts of yellow barrels labeled as toxic. Right there, under the city. 

Regina walked into her house and dropped her bag down in the hall. She removed her jacket and called her for her mom. When Claudia didn’t respond, Regina walked to the answering machine and listened to the message of her mother telling her just to heat up a pizza. She sighed as she stared at herself in the mirror and lifted the sleeve of her blue sweater to reveal her self inflicted scars. She sniffled as she tried to pull herself together. 

Egon pulled up to the pasture to try and investigate more about the sheep incident. He walked around with his flashlight. 

A large mechanical boom resonated inside of Winden. 

Egon looked towards the noise only to have a bird drop dead right next to him. His light started to flicker as more birds dropped from the sky attacking him and the earth below with their corpses. 

Lights all around Winden started to flicker. Everyone started to panic. 

Mikkel used this as his opportunity to try and sneak out so that he could get back home. He pulled the curtain and climbed out the large window just as Magnus had once taught him to do. 

Ulrich sat at the bus stop. He looked out into the forest as he smoked. He started to come out here more and more hoping that one day he would spot Mads and be able to bring his brother home. 

The smooth sounds of a bike chain pulled him out of his wandering mind. He smiled and called to the younger girl riding it, “Hey, Hannah!” 

Hannah smiled and rode to meet up with Ulrich at the stop, “Hey Ulrich.” She parked her bike and sat down next to her crush. They sat in silence just enjoying each other’s presence for a second. Hannah spoke up and asked the boy, “Is this the Apocalypse?” 

Ulrich hummed and then commented, “A bit disappointing.” 

“I imagined it being louder,” Hannah affirmed with Ulrich, “More glaring.” 

Mikkel ran through the trees making his way to the caves. Desperate to make it back home into the loving arms of his family. He bolted to the cave in which he came to this world then stopped to take a breath. He took out his stolen lighter and started his way into the caves hoping to find his way home. 

“If the world ended today and the world started anew, what would you wish for,” Hannah asked Ulrich. 

“Easy,” the teenager replied, “A world without Winden.” The boy watched as the lights flickered in the bus stop. 

Hannah paused and thought for a second before proposing a cheer, “To a world without Winden.” 

“To a world without Winden,” Ulrich agreed. He took one last puff of his cigarette before tossing it away onto the street. Just then the flickering stopped. Everything seemed to have gone back to normal. 

Hannah smiled, “I don’t think Winden is going to give up that easily.” 

Ulrich chuckled back and shrugged, “Well, maybe next time.” 

Little did Winden realize all of this mirrored the exact feelings all of the town would be feeling 33 years from now. This feeling of hopelessness, confusion, hurt. Claudia slowly opened Helge’s present to reveal a book titled, ‘A Journey Through Time’ by H.G. Tannhaus. Regina looked at her body unsatisfied and selfconsciously. Charlotte still investigating what was making all of these birds die in such a strange fashion. Tronte still coming home late to a disappointed and worried Jana. Ulrich still mourning the loss of a little boy he held so dear to him. 

Ulrich, sick of this feeling, drove down to the caves with a crowbar. He crossed the police line and stormed inside trying to find his son. 

Mikkel, 33 years in the past, climbed his way through the caves only to get take a slid. His body slid down the rocky floor and only stopped when his leg hit a hard rock at the bottom injuring it. 

Ulrich, in 2019, walked up to the metal locked door with his flashlight. He placed his light down so that he could have light as he worked and approached the door. He shoved his crowbar into the door. 

In 1986, Mikkel heard the noise coming from all around him. He looked down at his bloody injured leg. He winced and grit his teeth through the pain. He just wanted to make it move again so he could go back to trying to make it home. Hearing the banging noise again, he called to it, “Hello?!” His voice was raspy and desperate, “HELLO? Help!” 

Ulrich turned hearing the ghostly echoed voice of his son calling for help. Ulrich stopped banging on the metal door and asked, “Hello?” He repeated himself in a whispered tone, “Hello? Anyone there?” He started to pant and repeated his son’s name in the hope that he would hear him, “Mikkel? Mikkel?” 

Mikkel pushed his way up and limped over to his still lit Zippo lighter. 

Both ended up struggling out of the cave alone and sitting right at its cursed entrance in torment. Both wishing they were with the other as a lone Tannhaus worked in his office on a new invention.


	4. Chapter 4

Black holes are considered to be the hellmouths of the universe. Those who fall inside disappear. Forever. But whereto? What lies behind a black hole? Along with things, do space and time also vanish there? Or would space and time be tied together and be part of an endless cycle? What if everything that came from the past were influenced by the future? 

Helge sat in his tree of life chair repeating, “Tick-tock. Tick-tock.” The old man with a damaged eye trying to come to terms with the man standing in the entrance of the caves looking out into Winden. 

The forest was still. The town was still until Franziska stormed out of her room. “That sneaky little bitch,” she whispered to herself before she screamed across the house, “Ellie! Where’s my lipstick?!” 

This caused both Charlotte and Peter to emerge from their rooms across from each other. They awkwardly greeted each other. Peter explained he was going to stop to see Helge before work. Charlotte nodded and agreed to take Elisabeth to school in that case. Then they both walked to follow their elder daughter to try and break up the fight. 

Annalise tossed and turned in her bed. She was still having nightmares, but at least she was trying to sleep on her own. She couldn’t stop getting the images of Mikkel, Erik, the boy the found, and her father out of her head. Everything kept feeling connected and she had no idea why, but her nightmares kept stringing them together in each exaggerated way after the next. Her phone had other plans for her though and started to go off with notifications. Annalise shot up in a cold sweat and panted. She turned slowly to her phone and stared at it. She slowly picked it up to reveal that Bartosz was bothering her about Martha again. 

‘I know you are probably shoving some Kahnwald sausage down your throat, but don’t let that be the reason you don’t reach out to Martha. She definitely probably needs you.’ The boy had texted her. 

Annalise’s nose scrunched at his lack of decency. She silently thanked him for waking her up from her horrible sleep though. She texted her friend’s boyfriend back with a slight tint of pink across her cheeks, ‘Please don’t assume inappropriate things about me.’ She stood up though and started to get ready for the day. 

Jonas stared at the maps of the caves of Winden. It lay there sprawled on his crossed legs. ‘Where is the crossing?’ kept calling to him. He had no idea what this meant, but a part of him felt as though this was very familiar. He decided to fold up the map and put it into his bag. 

Elisabeth was reading an astronomy book when her sister yelled at her, “There you are, you stupid cow!” Franziska ripped the book away from her and yelled while signing, “Where is my red lipstick?” 

Elisabeth signed back, “I don’t have your stupid lipstick. I’m only eight. I don’t use lipstick.” 

Franziska argued, “You may be able to fool those two upstairs with your puppy dog eyes and your pitiful deaf-and-dumb act, but I don’t buy it.” 

A coy smile grew on the younger sister’s face as their mother walked in. Charlotte looked to Elisabeth and asked, “Have you packed your backpack? I’ll drive you.” She turned to her older daughter and asked, “Shall I take you too?” 

“Am I a baby or what?” Franziska snarked. 

Elisabeth signed to her mother, “Because of Mikkel?” 

“Yes, because of Mikkel,” the mother signed back. 

Elisabeth asked, “Do you know who stole him?” 

Charlotte replied, “I won’t discuss police work with you.” 

“I don’t like Mikkel,” Elisabeth signed to her mother, “He’s a show-off and a jerk. I don’t really care if he ever comes back.” She crossed her arms and fell back more into the sofa. 

Hannah threw her phone down as she smoked in the kitchen. Her legs tucked inside of her red sweater. She smiled seeing Jonas come down the stairs, “Hey!” She cheerfully greeted her son. Annalise had left a little earlier so Hannah was grateful for this time alone with Jonas. “Where are you going,” she asked. 

“To school,” Jonas lied. 

Hannah shrugged and offered, “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I can call them.” 

“I’m fine,” Jonas told his mother. 

Hannah started to rock herself holding in tears, “Jonas?” She then tried to offer, “We could also do something nice together. Just the two of us.” 

Jonas stared at his mother. It was such a tempting offer. He rarely had got the opportunity where he could just spend time with her. “Mom,” He complained. He hated this feeling of having to decline the offer, but he needed to see about the map he had found in his father’s studio. 

“Okay,” Hannah let the subject drop and allowed him to leave. 

Peter sat next to his father in his retirement home. Helge was acting quite strangely. He called his father, “Dad? You can’t keep walking out.” 

“I have to tell him,” Helge muttered to himself. 

Peter sighed and asked, “Tell who what?” 

Helge just repeated, “I have to tell him. It has to stop. It has to stop. It has to...” 

Peter reached out his hands and clasped them around his father’s shaking ones. He felt so guilty, but he pushed a little bit and asked, “What has to stop?” 

“Tick-Tock,” Helge replied, “Tick-Tock.” Peter pulled away from his father and sighed. He placed his hands in his lap and stared at them. Helge slowly reached out his hand to caress his son’s cheek, “Don’t be sad.” 

Jonas walked through the woods trying to get to the caves. He wanted to have enough time where no one would suspect anything so he walked quickly. A sweet almost like a lullaby of a song stopped him though. Someone was singing. He stood there frozen in terror as he just listened to the melodic tune. It was a feminine voice. It was singing in English. He sighed realizing who it was. 

Annalise sat on a large rock humming and singing to herself. With the birds chirping all around, she decided she was going to try and sing hoping that Mikkel would hear it and follow it back to her. She closed her eyes as she started, 

> _“Why do birds suddenly appear  
>  Every time you are near?  
> Just like me, they long to be  
> Close to you  
> Why do stars fall down from the sky  
> Every time you walk by?  
> Just like me, they long to be  
> Close to you.” _

Leaves crutched and scurried away causing Annalise to stop. She looked towards the noise to see Jonas standing there. Jonas looked at the girl. He knew this wasn’t too far into the sun’s rise, but for some reason, he felt as though the sun was making its way back down to go to sleep. The dewy morning light glistened off of her. He felt as if he had walked into a scene where a guardian angel was trying their best to look after their chosen human. The light from above also cast a darling halo on her hair. Her tender tears rolled down her beautiful face and reflected the distilled light from the canopy of leaves above. Jonas swallowed his hitched breath and asked, “Are you okay?” 

Annalise slowly raised her hand to touch her cheek suddenly understanding that she was crying. She swallowed and nodded, “Yeah… I’m just…” She stared up at the leaves above them for a second and said, “I was just singing a song my Bube sang to my Zayde who sang it to my mom who sang it to my dad who sang it to me. It’s one of my favorite songs.” 

“Do…” Jonas paused and tried to gain his courage back up again, “Do you want to continue?” He sat down next to the rock so that way they could look up at the beams of sunlight together. His head basically being near her lap level due to the height of the rock. 

Annalise nodded and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes again as she started to sing once more. 

> _“On the day that you were born the angels got together  
>  And decided to create a dream come true  
> So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold And starlight in your eyes of blue.” _

Jonas’s eyes closed as he listened to her sing. Her family had the right song to pass down. He leaned his head against the rock. 

While singing, Annalise ended up readjusting on the rock to lay on her stomach. She held herself up with her elbows and kicked her legs up into the air, her ankles hooked together, to let them sway with her. Her hands and face not too far from the blond’s head now. 

> _“That is why all the girls in town  
>  Follow you all around  
> Just like me, they long to be  
> Close to you”_

Annalise slowly absentmindedly gently combing her fingers through the boy’s sand-colored hair. Her eyes closed allowing her heartache about losing Mikkel and her father flow through her crying. Jonas let the tune envelop him and soon found himself humming along. His breathing slowed as a small smile crept across his face. Lost in the moment with each other in the stillness of the forest. 

> _“On the day that you were born the angels got together  
>  And decided to create a dream come true  
> So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold And starlight in your eyes of blue  
> That is why all the girls in town  
> Follow you all around  
> Just like me, they long to be  
> Close to you.” _

Jonas slowly found his voice and sang along with the girl trying his best to not seem too far off. He was about a beat behind, but he still tried and actually got the repeat. 

> _“Just like me, they long to be  
>  Close to you.”_

The two sat in quiet while Annalise pulled her hand away from playing with his hair. She turned over onto her back and looked up at the sparkling tree cover around them. Jonas sighed contently. Longing for her contact once more, he leaned his head against the top of her head. It wasn’t too long before he heard the whimpering of Annalise’s soft sobs. He slowly stood up and wiped her tears from her face, “Hey… Annalise.” He waited until she looked at him. Jonas smiled gently and said, “You should do that more often?” 

Annalise laughed. She looked up at him with a small smile, “Sing or cry?” 

Jonas shrugged, “Both?” He wiped her cheeks with his thumbs once more. He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers. He left it there as he whispered, “I need to go. Will you be okay?” 

Annalise swallowed her sorrow and nodded against his forehead. A small squeaked voice replied to him, “Sure. Yeah.” 

Jonas asked, “Are you sure?” 

“Yeah, I’ll be okay,” She smiled gently at him and started laughing a little bit. 

Jonas pulled away gently and slowly, “What?” 

Annalise’s eyes filled with tears, but she wiped them away as she explained, “I used to do the same thing to Mikkel when he was upset because my Zayde and mother did it to me.” 

Jonas chuckled and said, “I’ll see you later, okay?” “Yeah,” Annalise waved him off as he walked back going to the caves once more. 

Jonas took the map out of his bag as soon as he was out of sight of Annalise and made his way to the cave. He looked around now more paranoid hoping that no one had followed him. He looked down at the map then peered upwards once more. He pulled the police line up and walked into it unknowingly being watched by the bearded stranger. 

The man looked down at his watch then looked back up towards the caves. 

Charlotte knelt in front of her daughter and explained that she was going to be the one to pick her up after school. She noticed her daughter trying to look past her at another young boy. She looked at Elisabeth and asked, “Who’s he?” 

“Yasin,” Elisabeth replied, “We’re dating.” 

Charlotte stood up a little surprised at what her eight-year-old was telling her, “You are doing what?” 

Elisabeth rolled her eyes thinking to herself that she shouldn’t have to explain what that meant to her mother, “Yasin is my boyfriend. That’s how you say it nowadays.” 

“Well then…” Charlotte started. 

Elisabeth smiled and pulled her mother’s forehead against her own and held Charolette there for a moment before kissing her head and running to meet up with the boy. 

“A web of symbols and references runs through the novel,” the professor lectured his literature class. Franziska sat in the front doodling instead of taking notes. “The ‘sycamores by the sea’ are an example of symbolism. A special form of Goethe’s work is what we call doubling. The characters consciously and unconsciously…” 

The door opened interrupting the lecture. Magnus walked in and stared at Franziska for a second before moving to take the seat behind her. 

“Magnus, this isn’t your class,” the professor scolded. 

Magnus stared at him and commented, “Won’t you continue?” 

“Where was I…” The instructor continued as Franziska turned to look at the boy behind her, “Symmetry is a special kind of doubling. The repetition is mirrored along a central axis. So the repetition begins at an imaginary center point and branches off in two opposing directions. There are several encrypted references to later events in the novel.” Franziska looked down at her phone to check the time and saw a message there. “Ottilie’s starvation, for example, is referenced in the third chapter part one, as her “excessive abstemiousness in eating and drinking.” This reference is again repeated later.” 

Franziska stood up and explained, “I have to go to the bathroom.” The teacher excused her. Franziska hurried out the door and put on her bag looking back at Magnus. 

Magnus waited until she was completely out the door before he started to follow her. 

The medical examiner opened up the bird after a few notes. She asked Charolette about the boy that they had recently found. 

“Mikkel,” Charlotte asked before replying confused by the other woman’s intention, “Disappeared off the face of the Earth.” 

“No, not Mikkel,” She clarified, “The dead boy.” 

“Oh. Yes,” Charlotte realized, “No. We ran everything through the missing persons database. No match.” 

The examiner then asked if everything as alright with her police chief. 

Charlotte said yes at first then recanted. She then explained how all of this felt exactly as it did 33 years ago. 

Jonas sat in the dark with his flashlight looking at his map. He looked up at one of the openings and decided he should try and take that one. He walked through terrified as if something was going to jump out at him like in those campy horror movies they always played on Halloween. He looked back down and checked his map again before continuing on. 

Charlotte walked through the station when Woller stopped her. They had a very short conversation about trying to find out the boy’s identity and to start checking the database for a longer period of time than they initially had checked. He did give her a small clue about a red soil that must have come from the scene of the crime before Charolette had stormed off. 

Katharina sat in her son’s room. She was trying to hold herself together and her family together. She watched as Ulrich finally woke up from sleeping in Mikkel’s bed. He blinked and looked around. “What time is it,” Ulrich asked panicked. 

“Just past ten,” Katharina replied. As Ulrich sat up Katharina told her husband, “Charlotte called. She still doesn’t have a search warrant for the power plant.” Katharina sighed and told her husband, “It’s been nearly 36 hours, Ulrich.” She had been an officer’s wife long enough to know the time span of these sorts of incidents. 

Ulrich stood up and stormed out of his son’s room. 

Martha looked to Annalise and whispered, “Tomorrow is my dress rehearsal, Lise.” 

Annalise smiled at her friend and asked, “Do you want me to go?” 

“Yeah,” Martha nodded, “I’ve been working really hard on it and I just want…” She sighed and asked, “May you come to watch me?” 

Annalise’s brow scrunched up in confusion, “Yeah.” She whispered noticing that their professor was starting to catch on, “I am here to support you through whatever.” 

Martha nodded and asked, “Can you move back home? The house just feels too empty without you there too.” 

Annalise smiled, “Of course.” She clasped her hands around her friends and used her thumb to stroke her friend’s hand. She interlaced her fingers with Martha’s and let it hang down. 

Franziska walked through the forest to make well on her deal with Benni. She walked vert deliberately through going to the train tracks. She could feel herself being watched, but could not be able to find the person responsible. Magnus walked on the higher part of the land mirroring the way she walked to keep a close eye on her. This wasn’t an uncommon practice for him. Being the eldest of two other siblings plus a host to a new foreign friend, this skill was honed in with near perfection. He watched as Franziska bent down and took a package from a tin that was covered with leaves. Franziska gently placed the tin back and recovered it. 

Ulrich walked up to the fence of the nuclear power plant determined to have his son back. He had his bolt cutter hidden with a drop blanket so that the cameras didn’t catch him and alert the guards immediately. 

Jonas continued his way through the caves. His mouth was wide with awe and wonder. When he realized he had reached a dead-end, he cursed to himself. He checked his map again to see what he was missing. 

Helge sat and repeated to himself, “The beginning is the end, and the end is the beginning.” His eyes closed as he repeated the phrase. He, then, heard two voices of nurses talking about having found a boy in the woods. 

Annalise forced a smile as she watched Martha go to her next class. This was one of the ones they actually didn’t share. She walked into the class to see Bartosz smirk and motion for her to sit with him. The girl rolled her eyes but sat next to him anyway, “What Bartosz?” 

He laughed and pulled a dead leaf from the girl’s hair. Annalise squinted, had she had that the entire time and no one else noticed? Bartosz leaned on his elbow looking at her. “I was wondering if you talked to Martha today,” He chuckled. 

“Yeah,” Annalise nodded, “But what am I? My best friend’s keeper? You are getting really creepy about this.” She turned to face forward. 

Bartosz’s face dropped. His heart sank knowing that she was right. He was acting a bit obsessive, but no one was talking to him since the accident. Martha had Magnus, Magnus had Franziska and vise visa, Jonas and Annalise also had each other. Why should he be left out? His chair squeaked as he leaned over to her. He hoarsely breathed into her ear, “Is it wrong that I want someone, the person I am supposed to have this with, to share my feelings? To hold them while we watch the world crumble around us?” 

Annalise turned to look at the boy in surprise. She could understand that feeling on some level. A tightness clenched her chest. Maybe she should talk to Jonas when they got home to try and get him to spend time with the boy that was supposedly his best friend. 

Franziska made her way back into the school. She walked into the locker room, put away the money in her bag, and changed to get ready for her class. 

Jonas, having given up for the day, walked back to his bike. He noticed something strange about it. He knelt down and pulled a red string off of the handlebar. Two ends dangled from a knot about halfway up the loop. The boy stood up and started to look around anxiously trying to find a suspect to who may have left this. 

Magnus followed the girl back into the school. He watched as she exercised in her dance class. He tried to formulate what he was going to tell her. 

After a series of clues, Charlotte found her way to the family’s cabin. She knelt down realizing that this road had the red dirt one of her investigators had told her about. She cleaned her hands of the dirt and answered a call from her medical examiner. The birds had burst eardrums on both sides. All the birds did. Apparently, the Electromagnetic fields interfere with the bird’s sensory systems. 

Elisabeth sat talking to Yasin after school. She was telling him about what she had learned about the reproductive habits of snails that she had learned from a documentary on television. Yasin laughed with her until he heard his mother calling to him that it was time to go. 

Yasin’s mother looked worried at Elisabeth and asked, “Do you need a ride home?” 

Elisabeth shook her head and replied, “My mom’s picking me up.” 

“I’ll drive you home,” The mother tried to insist, “It’s not a problem.” 

Elisabeth shook her head again, “My mom will be here any moment now. She’s the chief of police.” 

Yasin’s mother nodded accepting the girl’s answer and walked to her car with her son trailing behind. 

Meanwhile, Charlotte broke into her husband’s cabin. She looked around for any clues. Seeing nothing out of place, she walked out to the bunker. She opened it up and walked down. While she was down there, she got a call about Ulrich. 

Franziska walked into the locker room after her class. She walked to her bag noticing instantly that something was off. She turned to see Magnus standing there with the money in his hand. 

“Franziska, what is this,” he asked motioning towards the money in his hand. 

Franziska angrily replied, “Money, you idiot. My money.” 

“Why do you have so much money,” Magnus questioned, “Are you dealing drugs? Is that why you were at the caves?” 

Franziska grabbed the money from him and turned to put it away, “How I earn my money is none of your damn business.” 

“What are you going to do with it,” the boy asked walking closer to her again. 

“What am I going to do with it,” Franziska yelled, “I’m getting out of this phoney shithole. Behind everyone’s friendly smile there’s nothing but lies.” 

Magnus chuckled and shook his head, “You’re no different. You pretend to be the straight-A student, but that’s not you. Maybe you should start telling the truth.” 

Furious, Franziska asked, “Do you want the truth?” She shrugged and said her voice getting louder and louder as she continued, “Fine. My parents have slept in different beds for over a year. My mom found out my Dad’s actually into dicks. Their marriage is over, but no one will say it.” Her voice started to lower in frustration, “Instead, this big fat secret is always with us at the table. It eats our bread rolls, the butter, the homemade jam. It gets fatter and fatter until there’s no space left in the room.” She pushed the boy away, “Until you can’t breathe.” 

Magnus looked at the girl. He had never felt so tied to someone before. He knew exactly what she was talking about. He wandered closer to her and placed his hand on her cheek. The boy looked at her silently asking if she wanted to do the same. She leaned closer to him giving him all he needed to know. Magnus leaned down and kissed her. Their passionate kiss fueled with this sense of finally curbing a craving they had long harbored. They were hungry to feel each other to fully have someone that truly understood and loved them. 

Peter worked at his desk. He answered a call from his wife and asked, “Did you forget something?” 

“No,” Charlotte replied, “You have to pick Elisabeth from school. I can’t make it.” 

“I have a patient,” Peter pleaded, “I have to go to the office.” 

“Just pick her up, okay?” Charlotte asked him, “She can wait at your office. I have to go to the power plant.” 

Peter nodded, “Okay. I’ll pick her up.” He was just about to leave when Charlotte brought up a very painful memory. He couldn’t handle that on top of lying to her about not knowing anything about the boys so he made an excuse and went to try and pick up his daughter. 

Elisabeth, bored, pulled out a small tube from her pocket. She played with the tube in her hands before opening it to reveal that it was the same red lipstick that Franziska was yelling at her about earlier that morning. Elisabeth put some of it on, then put it back into her pocket. Now frustrated from how long it was taking, she stood and started to walk her way home like she normally did before Mikkel went missing. 

Rain fell across Winden giving Helge a perfect opportunity to slip out of the building. He walked back into the woods trying to find himself. 

Elisabeth skipped through the rain. She stopped noticing an old Raider wrapper. She had never seen this before. It looked nearly identical to Twix. She wondered if it was just some kind of a ripoff. 

Peter jogged up to his daughter’s school and asked one of the teachers if she had seen Elisabeth because he was there to get her. The teacher seemed confused and told him that school had let out early so she thought the girl had already gotten picked up. Peter panicked hearing this information and jogged back to his car in hopes of trying to find his daughter. 

Aleksander walked with Charlotte explaining, “Security found him on our grounds, close to the caves. He must have climbed over the fence.” Charlotte nodded as she followed the director to his office to reveal Ulrich sitting, bloodied, guarded by an armed security guard. Charlotte turned to Aleksander who explained, “He hasn’t been very cooperative.” 

Charlotte turned to the man and forced him to get into her car with him so that way she could drive him home. They sat in silence most of the way until Charlotte couldn’t hold it in anymore, “You’re lucky Aleksander isn’t pressing charges. Everyone understands your situation. Everyone! But climbing over the fence?” 

“Understanding is nice, thank you,” Ulrich sarcastically remarked. He continued, “But it’s not enough.” He felt as if he was back 33 years ago. His heart ached. He looked at Charlotte and growled, “My child is gone, okay?” He didn’t know if he was actually saying it to her or himself or to Egon, “This isn’t just some file on your desk. It’s my child.” He looked out the window, “Why Mikkel? I keep asking myself that. Why him? Why my son? Why not his son? Why not his?” He sighed, “I’m being punished. And all I get is fucking sympathy. Well, you can take that and shove it. Where’s the search warrant? Why is no one doing anything? Should I tell you why? Because it’s not his kid. And because it’s not your kid.” He stopped and then said, “Stop here. I want to get out.” 

Charlotte ignored him figuring he was just trying to be more emotionally dramatic. 

“Stop the car,” Ulrich demanded. 

Charlotte safely stopped the vehicle allowing the man to get out to walk in the rain. She watched him go for a second. She noticed her phone ringing. She answered it and asked, “Yes?” 

A panicked Peter replied to her, “Elisabeth wasn’t there.” 

“What do you mean she wasn’t there,” Charlotte asked growing concerned. 

“She wasn’t at school,” Peter sobbed into the phone, “Mrs. Clemens is sick. She wasn’t waiting there. I’ve been up and down the forest road twice already and she’s not here.” 

Charlotte tried to reason with him, “Maybe someone from school took her home? Maybe Yasin? Go back home. Maybe she went a different way. Call everyone in her class. I’ll be there in 15 minutes.” 

Martha and Annalise laughed as it started to rain on them. They ran down the sidewalk trying to splash each other. Annalise had wanted to walk Martha home just to make sure Martha wasn’t alone. Now they were taking this time to let out some frustration they couldn’t around everyone else. They were screaming and laughing just like they used to do. The two girls danced around each other trying to just have fun with the other. Soaking wet from just messing around in the rain, they listened as their feet caused more splashing. Their hearts felt connected and cleaned for the first time in days. Martha, at one point, slipped and dragged Annalise down with her laughing. The two girls illuminated the world with their smiles. The gray hue didn’t disturb their vibrancy of life. Eventually, they tired themselves out and walked together arm in arm to Martha’s. 

When they got back to the Nielsen home, Katharina rolled her eyes and called to the girls as they ran upstairs to go and get into dry clothes. She offered for Annalise to wait out the rain or to wait until Ulrich came back so that he could drive her back to Hannah’s. 

“Can’t she stay,” Martha complained. 

Katharina shook her head and said, “We can’t have her just moving around so much. I am just going to text Hannah to let her know what’s going on. In fact, this is the perfect time for Annalise to finish picking up her things.” 

Annalise pouted. Martha just rolled her eyes as they went up to fully strip out so they could get into warm clothes. Slowly, the darkness started to creep back. They both silently did their own thing as they tried to prepare themselves for the loneliness to settle in again. 

Jonas spread the map down on the floor of his father’s studio to try and figure out where he went wrong. He was growing really frustrated with it. He sighed as he sat on his heels looking down at in almost in a trance until he heard Hannah call from downstairs. He jogged downstairs and asked, “Yeah?” 

“Annalise got stuck at the Nielsen’s because of the rain,” Hannah explained, “So Ulrich will probably be dropping her off soon. Can you...” She trailed off. 

Jonas shook his head and threw on his raincoat. Right now was possibly the worst time for his mother to be pulling what she normally did. So he grabbed an umbrella and said, “I’ll just go get her. Don’t worry about it.” 

Hannah tried to call after him, “She is going to have a bag! It’s probably best if you just let Ulrich bring her.” 

Jonas waved to his mom as he braved the rain to go and get the girl. 

Charlotte drove down the forest road one more time. She went painstakingly slow to try and scan around looking for any sign of her daughter. She ended up spotting something. There lay on the moss-covered ground was an orange fox beanie that Elisabeth always wore. Charlotte stopped the car and rushed over to pick it up. She looked up and started to try to find if there were any more clues to where her daughter possibly had gotten off to. Her heart started to panic praying that Elisabeth wasn’t taken and instead just with one of her classmates. 

Jonas slowly dredged his way to the Nielsens’. He took a more direct way. His yellow raincoat was the only color with him. He tried to debate if this was truly actually the best idea. He had no clue what he was going to say if he ran into Martha. Were they even going to have a conversation if Annalise was standing there? As he contemplated, he found himself at the doorstep. 

Katharina opened the door with a small smile, “Hello Jonas.” 

“Hello,” Jonas bowed his head as a slight greeting. 

The woman stood back from the door and asked, “Why not come inside and I’ll call for Lise for you.” 

Jonas nodded. He listened to Katharina call upstairs for the girls. He took a deep breath as he watched Martha descend down the stairs after Annalise. 

Peter thanked the last parent on the phone. No one had seen his daughter. Misery started to grow over in him. He turned to see his wife had returned home. He stared at her trying to hold back his tears, “I called everyone on the list. Nothing.” 

Charlotte’s eyes widened in fear. She couldn’t hold in her woe. Her face contorted with sadness as she showed Peter Elisabeth’s hat in her hand. 

Peter took a deep breath. Realization hit him hard. He looked up at his wife and walked to her to wrap himself around her. He hadn’t held Charlotte like this in such a long time, but he couldn’t even enjoy the feeling. He just wanted his daughter back. 

Annalise walked up to the boy with a cheery smile. She giggled and said, “Hey Jonas.” A small blush formed across her cheeks, “Thanks for coming to get me.” 

Jonas nodded. His eyes never leaving Martha, “Yeah. It’s no problem.” He darted his eyes to Annalise then back at Martha. 

Martha rubbed her elbow nervously, “Hey.” She forced a small smile. 

“Hey,” Jonas breathlessly replied. 

Katharina, tired of the awkwardness of the moment, urged Jonas and Annalise out. “Thank you, Jonas, but you two should go before it gets worse.” She urged them out the door and said before closing it behind them, “Thank your mother for me.” 

Jonas and Annalise stared at the door for a second. Annalise huddled under the small awning to keep her new dry clothes dry for the moment. Seeing Annalise do this snapped Jonas out of his trance. He smiled gently and opened up the umbrella before handing it to her. “There you go,” He said confidently. 

Annalise giggled as he and her started to walk home together. The pavement shined with the moonlight. They stayed silent as they walked. Annalise daydreaming about how romantic it was to be sharing an umbrella with such a cute boy. Also, the fact that he went out of his way to come and get her. She tried to run through conversations she could try to have with him. 

Jonas took this time to look at the misty lights through the rain. He tried to figure out what to say to Martha the next time he saw her. He really didn’t know what he wanted to do about it. He blinked hearing a car driving down the road and pulled himself closer to Annalise. He wrapped an arm around her as he pulled himself closer to her and not into the street. 

Starlight filled the trees. Annalise’s face blushed as Jonas pulled himself closer to her. Her breath hitched in her throat. She licked her now dry lips. She smiled and asked, “What made you come and get me?” 

“I didn’t want my mom to try anything with Ulrich,” Jonas answered honestly. He didn’t even notice Annalise’s nervousness and pink hue. 

“Oh,” Annalise said disappointed. She looked out in the darkness. Everything seemed a bit less bright. 

They continued in silence again. A cold wind brushed past the two in the walkway. Jonas noticed out of the corner of his eye that Annalise started to shiver. Her hair was still soaked from her earlier escapades with Martha. He took pity on her and moved closer so that the could share his warmth. Annalise gave him a small smile and rest her head against his shoulder as he took the wield of the umbrella instead. 

Once they got back, he ushered her inside then watched as she climbed the stairs going into her room. He knew he wanted to say something before she walked away for the night, but he couldn’t think of what to say to her. His heart gnawed watching her knowing how silent they were walking home. She normally was so brilliant. Everything brightened around her, yet tonight it seemed as if they were strangers once more. 

Jonas walked upstairs and gently rest his head on his pillow. He stared up at the ceiling wondering if or where he had gone wrong. 

Ulrich returned home to Katharina vacuuming the carpet from the mess Martha and Annalise had made coming inside from the rain. 

A dark figure opened up the Doppler family cabin just as Franziska returned home to find her mother crying into her father’s lap. Her father looked up at her as a light came on within the cabin. Helge walked to the police searching for Elisabeth trying to warn them of the upcoming danger so that way they could stop what was going on. Franziska really didn’t need to be told what had happened. The look on her parent’s face was enough for her to know that her little sister had now disappeared as well. 

Ulrich sighed as he made his way upstairs to once again go sleep in Mikkel’s bed. 

The Doppler family’s door slowly unlocked causing Peter’s head to perk up to look towards the noise. He grabbed onto his wife who then also looked towards the door. Soon, Elisabeth walked in. Charlotte couldn’t contain herself and rushed to hug her daughter. She held the girl in her arms. When she pulled away, Elisabeth signed, “I lost my hat.” 

Ecstatic, Charlotte signed, “Where were you?” 

Elisabeth sneered, “You didn’t pick me up so I walked.” 

“And that took you this long,” her mother asked frustrated from being left in such a state of distress. 

“I met someone,” the girl explained. She held out a gold pocket watch to her mother then continued, “He gave me this.” 

Charlotte pulled her daughter to her and asked, “Who did?” 

“Ouch,” Elisabeth winced, “You’re hurting me.” 

Charlotte let go of her daughter and asked again, “I want to know who gave this to you.” 

“Noah,” Elisabeth replied. 

“Who is Noah,” Charlotte asked. 

Elisabeth, annoyed, explained, “He said it used to belong to you.” 

Charlotte looked down at the watch as Peter took his daughter into his arms to hold her. She felt freezing. 

“Elli,” Franziska called relieved to hear her sister was back home. She rushed into the room and pulled the girl away from their father so that she could hold her. “I was so worried about you,” Franziska admitted. She pulled her sister away and asked, “Where were you?” Franziska then noticed red lipstick on Elisabeth’s lips. She wiped it away just to be sure then slapped her sister across the face. With tears streaming down her face she told her sister, “Hands off my stuff!” She turned away and stormed to her room. 

The phone rang. Peter walked to answer it telling the officers that Elisabeth had returned home only to here about his dad being in the woods. He hung up and explained to Charlotte the situation before leaving. Charlotte looked down at the pocket watch. On the inside, there was an inscription of, ‘For Charlotte.’ 

The next morning, the bearded stranger stood in a very familiar room to him. He walked over to the map inside of Jonas’s desk and marked a location with a red marker. He thought back on Ariadne’s thread; how we are all searching for it, the one that is meant to guide us along the right path. A beacon in the darkness. We’d love to know our fate. Where we’re headed. But the truth is, he thought, there is but one path through all times. Predetermined by the beginning and by the end, which is also the beginning. 

Helge bolted awake and took the nurse’s wrist. He stared up at her and earnestly said, “He needs to be stopped. I need to stop him.” 

The nurse asked, “Who?” 

“Noah,” he simply replied. 

Yasin walked though the woods walking to school. He vented to himself, “I’m not a baby anymore. I can go to school on my own.” The poor darling boy had no idea how wrong he was as he walked into a tall man with a large hat.


	5. Chapter 5

Everything for the adults was just as it was 33 years ago. For them, there was a feeling of hopelessness. Trapped in a cycle they didn’t know how to remove themselves from.

Jonas lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. He really didn’t have the energy to get out of bed at all. He didn’t hear the now normal chipperness of Annalise getting ready for the morning nor did he hear his mother making breakfast or having Ulrich over. Everything felt drab without some semblance of happiness in the house. His phone vibrated on his nightstand causing him to snap out of his thoughts. He reached over to it to reveal a text from Martha saying that they needed to talk. He put the phone down and rubbed the red string in his hand.

Martha, on the other side of town, awaited his answer. She sighed as she waited. The girl just wanted to clear the air and have everything work out. She wanted this tension to go away.

Bartosz dialed his girlfriend’s number hoping she was finally going to pick up. His face dropped as he just got sent straight to voicemail.

Annalise lay outside. She looked dirty and covered in morning dew. Her hair tousled, tangled with leaves, sticks, and matted from not drying properly. She picked up her phone to write a text to Bartosz about Martha and Jonas from last night. She ended up deleting it before her phone died. Better off, Annalise reasoned, there was no reason to worry Bartosz more than he was doing already. Her heart ached. She dropped her phone onto her chest as she looked up at the canopy of branches above her.

Charlotte had a sit down with her youngest daughter trying to question her about what she knew about the boys that had gone missing. Ever since Elisabeth had told her about Noah, she had a bad feeling. She tried to push her daughter for information by telling Elisabeth that it had also happened to Yasin now. All this did though was made her daughter start to cry frustrated and upset. Elisabeth couldn’t believe that this had also happened to her Yasin. She started to slowly open up by telling Charlotte what he looked like prompting Charlotte to start to arrange a sketch artist to head to the house so that Elisabeth could help give an idea of what Noah would look like. As Charlotte tried to leave Peter confronted her only for Charlotte to snap at him telling him that she knew he was hiding something from her. Then she stormed out of the house to get back to her job.

In 1986, Ines tried to give Mikkel a present. It was wrapped in yellow paper that reminded him of Annalise, yet he still refused to take it. Ines sat down next to him and asked, “Don’t you finally want to talk to me?” She sighed and asked, “Is there maybe someone I should tell that you’re okay? Your parents, they...They must be worried. You don’t have to say what happened to you if you don’t want to, but… If you want, no matter what it is, you can tell me.” She tried to comfort him, “It’s safe with me. I promise.”

Back in 2019, The stranger looked at his board of connections. He pulled off another day from the calendar and packed up his suitcase as if he was going to go somewhere.

It started to rain across Winden. Bartosz thought maybe now Martha would finally answer him. He tried one last time before reaching her voicemail again. He tossed his phone to the side and stared at Erik’s burner phone. He also tossed it aside right before it started to ring. Bartosz turned his head then reached to answer the call.

Hannah stood outside the Nielsen’s door. She was greeted by the sight of Martha. She showed the girl a dish she had made as an excuse to see Ulrich and lied, “I wanted Katharina to have…”

Katharina walked over and stared at the woman. She looked her up and down for a second and greeted her, “Hannah.”

Hannah shrugged and tried to laugh it off, “I...I figured you weren’t in the mood to cook right now… With all of this… And I thought…”

Katharina quickly took it from her and thanked her. She offered the other woman to come inside. She really didn’t want Hannah there, but she really couldn’t be rude to the woman.

Hannah looked over to the blonde and asked, “How’s Martha and Magnus?”

Katharina didn’t know how to verbalize anything so she just shrugged and shook her head.

“And Ulrich,” Hannah tried to pry.

Katharina shook her head again and said, “I don’t know.” She felt so defeated. She was trying so hard to be strong. To have the perfect family she never had, but here she was. She felt like the failure her mother always called her.

Hannah looked down the back at the other woman, “Where is he?”

“In the shower,” Katharina answered honestly. They both sat in silence as they heard heavy footsteps walking towards them knowing exactly who it was.

Ulrich popped his head in looking for Katharina. When he saw Hannah, his heart dropped. He greeted her simply by her name, “Hannah.” He, then, asked, “What are you doing here?”

Seeing Hannah struggle for words, Katharina interrupted and said, “Hannah brought us some food.”

Ulrich walked deeper into the room to check the validity of the statement, seeing that she was telling the truth, he looked back at the two women. He stated simply, “I have to go to the station.”

Desperate, Hannah asked, “Can you give me a ride? I came by bike. It’s raining so hard. Only if...”

Katharina nodded, “Of course Ulrich can give you a ride.” She stared at her husband knowingly.

Ulrich walked to his wife and kissed her head gently before starting to lead Hannah out.

“Hannah,” Katharina interrupted. She walked over to the brunette and hugged her. She held her close. Even if she suspected her, Katharina appreciated that Hannah had even pretended to show empathy. Katharina was craving any sort of empathy for her situation despite trying so hard to push people away and keep her walls up for no one to see her crying, “Thanks for the food.”

“And, really,” Hannah said embracing the other woman as well, “if you need anything, call me.” Then she left with Ulrich.

Seeing Jonas’s bike gone, Annalise decided it was safe for her to sneak back inside the house. She climbed the siding, shimmied across the house, then opened her cracked window to let herself in. Sadly, she had no idea how creaky her window actually was. When she opened it, the entire house echoed with the noise.

Surprised and trying to get ready to go to Bartosz’s to play video games and hang out, Jonas walked to Annalise’s room. This was the first noise he had heard all morning so he assumed maybe she was just trying to get some fresh air into her room, like one of those princesses in the movies. When he walked in though, Jonas was greeted with the sight of her sneaking back in. The boy studied her. She seemed ragged. He snapped himself out of it so that way he could help her get in. “Hey,” He greeted her once she was fully inside and looking at him.

“Hey.” She replied abruptly. She really had hoped he wasn’t home. What was she going to do to explain why she was outside. Annalise wasn’t privy to lying. She couldn’t even look the boy in the eye right now. She was almost frozen, yet she couldn’t stop fidgeting.

Jonas smiled gently. He gently took her phone from her pocket and placed it to charge. Jonas knew this reaction well. After what happened to his own father, he often had these moments while in the hospital so he thought he knew exactly what to do. He, then, took her arm and walked her to the bathroom so she could freshen up. “Having issues,” He asked gently.

Annalise started to cry. The dirt on her cheeks falling with the tears. She nodded not knowing how to tell him what she was feeling.

He gently wiped her tears away. He gently cooed, “It’s okay. I know. I miss mine too. I also know you and Mikkel were very close.”

Annalise wanted to scream at him. She wanted so badly to push him away and scream. How was he so dumb, she thought. She couldn’t though. Her voice couldn’t find itself. She just kept crying. Her weeping becoming louder.

Jonas tenderly pet her head, “It’s okay… It’s okay Lise. Why don’t you take a shower? I’m sure you’ll feel a bit better after you clean up.”

Nodding feverishly, Annalise shakily rubbed her face and walked into the bathroom to clean up. She just wanted to put them at a distance from each other. The girl wanted to escape from what she understood was pity. It was very clear to her that Jonas had no idea that he was actually part of the problem.

With the door between them, Jonas called, “I am going to Bartosz’s. Why don’t you head over if you are feeling up for it?”

“Can’t,” Annalise’s trembling voice told him, “I’m meeting up with Martha.”

Jonas smiled with tears forming in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away, “See. You’ll feel better in no time then.”

He, however, did not know that Annalise was actually dreading seeing her friend again. That she was not going to be feeling better soon and that actually going to be at Martha’s side would make Annalise’s life even more miserable.

The bearded stranger walked up to the main front desk. He gently placed a box on the counter and placed his key on top. He politely requested, “Could you deliver this for me? Here, locally.”

“Are you leaving us already,” Regina asked a little relieved.

The man replied, “I have to go away for a few days.” He bowed his head politely, “But I’d like to keep the room if I can.” He looked up at her pleadingly.

Regina answered him, “Certainly, that’s no problem.”

“It needs to be delivered by this evening,” the man explained, “It’s important.”

Terrified, Regina nodded, “Yes, of course.”

Finally arriving at his best friend’s Jonas collapsed on the sofa. He sat and took a hit off his friend’s bong to help himself relax. As he was lighting it, Bartosz turned and asked, “Where were you this morning? I tried to reach you all morning. Don’t tell me you and Anna-”

“Therapy,” Jonas quickly interrupted.

Bartosz turned away from his friend and nodded. He asked, “Have you heard from Martha?” Jonas looked back at his friend panicked. He wondered if he knew. Did Lise talk to him? His mind started to race. “She’s not calling me back and... ” Bartosz trailed off trying to explain why he asked Jonas, “I don’t know what she needs, the whole thing is so fucked up.” Bartosz lamented to his best friend unaware of Jonas’s own stake in the game.

Jonas tried to play it off and comforted the boy, “She’ll get in touch when she’s ready.” He wondered if he should ask about Annalise though. Regardless of all of their arguing, he could tell Bartosz really cared and probably would have better insight into the girl. Bartosz just had a strange way of showing kinship.

Bartosz stared at Jonas for a second and nodded, “Yeah, you’re probably right. Come on, let’s play.” They picked up the controllers and tried to ignore the tension in the room by playing the game. He asked while playing, “Can I trust you?” This made Jonas extra paranoid now. Annalise must have talked to him. Maybe that’s why she was so upset and wasn’t talking to him this morning. Maybe- Bartosz interrupted Jonas’s thoughts and clarified, “If I tell you a secret. Can I trust you not to tell anyone else?”

Jonas’s face showed his confusion for a split second then he turned to his friend, “Yeah, sure.”

“I’m in contact with Erik’s dealer,” He commented not taking his eyes off the game. Jonas let out a laugh thinking his friend was joking, but Bartosz continued, “And I’m meeting him tonight.”

Jonas laughed and asked, “You’re doing what?”

Bartosz still focused on the game, scolded, “Watch it! Shoot! No!” Irritated that he lost, he tossed the controller to the side and looked at Jonas, “I’m going there tonight in any case and I want you to come along.”

Jonas looked at him like the boy was crazy. DIdn’t Bartosz know people were going missing? Did he have a death wish? Maybe this was a death wish and he wanted to take Jonas down with him.

“Can I count on you?” Bartosz interrupted Jonas’s thoughts.

Jonas stared at him, he studied the boy. There was no way he knew. Bartosz wouldn’t have gone through all of this if he had known what was going on. Instead, Bartosz would have stormed into his house and just decked him. Jonas forced a smile and a small shrug, “Yeah, sure. Always.”

Charlotte tried hard to make all of the connections while in 1986, Noah walked up to a small boy named Mikkel in the hospital.

The pastor introduced himself, “I’m Noah. I’m a priest at St. Christopher’s Church. Ines called me.” Mikkel just stared at his Future Man comic book. Noah then asked, “Do you believe in God?” Mikkel shook his head at the man. Noah then asked, “How do you believe the world came to be? Who created all the beautiful things?”

“The world came to be through the Big Bang,” Mikkel explained to the man, “13.8 billion years ago. That’s how space, time, and matter came to be, and Earth as well. The rest is evolution.”

Noah asked trying to retort, “And what was there before the Big Bang? Nothing can arise from nothing. Maybe the Big Bang is nothing more than God’s act of creation.”

“My father says religion is the brainwashing of the masses,” Mikkel told the man matter-of-factly.

Noah nodded. He commented back, “I’m sure your father knows a lot, but he does not know everything. It’s good that he raised you to question things. But every now and then, it’s good to question those who question things. God has a plan for every human being, including you.”

In 2019, Ulrich sat in the car with Hannah annoyed as the rain thrashed his car. He turned to her and said, “I want you to stop calling me. Okay? Just stop. I can’t do this anymore.”

Hannah looked at the man and asked, “Is that what am I to you? Some damn affair? It’s not something you can just switch off. I can’t and neither can you.” Ulrich turned away from her. “Look at me,” she demanded, “Look at me! And now tell me there’s nothing there. That this doesn’t mean shit to you. No matter what you need, I’m here for you.”

Ulrich leaned over towards the woman and asked, “What I need?” He leaned forward to open her door, “Don’t call me. Don’t come by. Just leave us alone. Okay?” He laid it out as if he was talking to a child. Hannah sat there frozen. She had no idea it was going to turn out like this. Ulrich, annoyed, lost his temper, “Get lost!”

Hannah’s devious smile grew across her face as she laughed, “Don’t think that I’m just going to let you go.” She got out the car to see Annalise standing outside looking rather pretty. She laughed and asked, “Going out?”

Annalise nodded, “Martha told me that her dad was coming drop you off so I can grab a ride with him to the school to help her get ready and watch her dress rehearsal.”

Hannah nodded and said, “Ah.” She walked inside and said, “Well you didn’t need to get all dressed up for that, did you? Anyway, don’t be too late. Jonas will worry.”

Annalise nodded, “Yes, ma’am.” She took her small umbrella and walked over to Ulrich’s car getting in. Hannah watched as Ulrich smiled as if looking at his own daughter. He wrapped an arm around her for a quick greeting hug before Annalise put on her seatbelt and drove off with the man.

Hannah then thought back to a memory of 33 years prior.

Ulrich was telling her about an interest he had. He explained, “And then she says, ‘When you grow up, your heart dies.’ That line hits you, bam! Right in your face, you know?” He hopped a bit in the school hall, “And in the end, you think they’ve become friends because that created a bond between them. But in the end, they’re all stuck in their little pigeonholes.”

Hannah asked, “Maybe you want to see it again with me?” Ulrich got lost looking at Katharina across the hall. Hannah hit his shoulder to get him to pay attention to her again, “Hey! Are you even listening to me?”

“Y-yeah,” He stuttered shaking it off. He gently touched Hannah’s shoulder and walked to go see Katharina. Hannah sighed as she watched him go and ask, “Hey, girls, what are you up to? Wanna go out for a smoke?” She watched as he let his hand rest down near Katharina’s to signal her to take his hand and interlace his fingers with hers.

Back in the real world, Hannah turned and walked back into her house.

Katharina sat as she remembered the first time she should have known Hannah would try and rip Ulrich and her apart.

33 years ago, Ulrich and Katharina had decided to have sex in the gym equipment closet. They talked it out so that they agreed to both the act and to use protection because in her words she wanted to, “never have kids.”

At the same time 33 years ago, Mikkel was taken under child protective services. They wanted to put him into a children’s home, but this made Ines feel uncomfortable. The social services representative tried her hardest to calm Ines about the situation, but the nurse didn’t know about it. She had until Wednesday to devise a plan for what she was going to do.

In 2019, Ulrich explained why he decided to become a police officer to Charlotte as they tried to piece together who would do this. He was just s angry after Mads disappearance that he wanted to make sure that those mistakes were to never happen again. He relented about how he actually instead became nearly exactly like the man he was trying to never be.

“Have you ever heard of the 33-year cycle,” Charlotte asked. When Ulrich shook his head, Charlotte explained, “Our calendars are wrong, a year isn’t 365 days long. We’re always a bit ‘out of sync,’ so to speak. But every 33 years everything is just like it was. The stars, the planets, the whole universe returns to the exact same position. The lunar-solar cycle. My grandpa was obsessed with such things, the Big Bang and the Big Crunch. Nietzsche’s eternal recurrence. When I was little, I always felt that something was wrong with Winden. I have that same feeling again. That everything’s repeating. That this has all happened before. Like a massive deja vu.”

Jonas sat on the bench at the graveyard. He stared at his father’s grave in contemplation. He really didn’t know what he should do. He was waiting for a sign to give him the right path. That was when the bearded stranger walked and sat next to him. “You look like him,” the stranger commented, “Your father.” He nodded towards his grave.

Jonas looked at the man confused. “Do we know each other,” he asked angrily.

The man looked at the boy. He shook his head and whispered, “No, but I knew your father. It was a long time ago, but I remember him well.” Jonas looked toward his father’s grave as the man continued, “He saved my life and introduced me to the girl who loved me more than anything back then, but I only understood that much later. Life is a labyrinth. Some people wander around their whole lives looking for a way out, but there’s only one path and it leads you ever deeper. You don’t understand it until you’ve reached the center.” Jonas swallowed hard thinking on his own life. The man looked back at the boy and advised, “Death is incomprehensible, but you can make peace with it. Till then you should ask yourself each day if you’ve made the right decisions.” The man stood up and walked away to start his work once more. Leaving behind a befuddled Jonas staring at his father’s grave for answers.

It was at this time in 1986, that Hannah met Mikkel for the first time at the hospital. Her father had brought her with him while he was working. He warned her that it was going to be a while and he watched as his daughter nodded at him. He asked if she was okay seeing her so upset. Hannah lied to him telling him that she was. Soon after he left, she noticed the boy in the mirrors.

Mikkel sat on the bench finally opening the present. He had decided to try and pretend for a second that it was actually a gift that Annalise had given him. He tried to keep the paper pristine so that he could keep it to remember his friend. When he turned the gift over, he realized it was a book. A book titled, ‘I am not Afraid.’

While the boy looked at his book, Hannah walked and sat next to him. Mikkel ignored her at first until Hannah spoke up and asked, “Do you think I’m pretty?” When the boy only looked at her she sighed, “Well great.” She sulked then told the boy, “Know what I sometimes imagine? That I can do magic. I imagine that I want something. Really badly. And then it happens, because I imagine it. Like moving that bottle cap.” She motioned to it.

Mikkel looked down at the cap then up at her and asked, “Do you know Houdini?”

“Who,” Hannah asked.

“Harry Houdini,” Mikkel explained excitedly, “one of the world’s greatest magicians.” Hannah shook her head. Mikkel shrugged then picked up the bottle cap. He explained, “There is no such thing as magic, just illusion. Things only change when we change them.” He closed his fist around the bottle cap and sleight of hand it to the next while Hannah was looking in his eyes while talking, “But you have to do it skillfully, in secret. Then it seems like magic.” He passed his fists over each other, then hit them together to reveal that the bottle cap had moved.

Hannah impressed with the boy, asked, “Where did you learn that?”

“I’m from the future,” Mikkel explained.

Hannah laughed and said, “You’re cool.”

Mikkel smiled and joked, “No, I’m Mikkel.”

“Hi, Mikkel, boy from the future. I’m Hannah,” she extended her hand to shake his.

Mikkel took it and shook. He looked back down at the book and paper in his lap.

This was when Ulrich and Katharina had snuck into the gym closet to start their activity… only for Hannah to spy them when her father took her to the school to take care of some of the linens there.

Martha, in 2019, stood on stage in her costume reciting, “My mother told me about the old world. Before the flood. She said it had been of a different kind. Foul. She would braid my hair and recount harrowing tales, of my father and of the demons from the underworlds.”

As Martha said her speech, Jonas walked to the school. He stood in front debating if he was making the right choice before barreling through it. At the same time, the stranger walked away with tears in his eyes knowing exactly what he had done and that this was all going to play out the exact same way as it did previously.

“She said all is forgiven, but nothing is forgotten,” Martha’s speech continued, “Then the darkness in her eyes was greater than usual. And her words flowed like waves. She said all was well now the way it was.”

Annalise sat forward in her seat. She was on edge. It was as if she could feel this was important. Something deep inside almost screamed at her to take this message and run.

The play continued, “That all occupied its own space, in the past as in the here and now. When she spoke in this manner, something would overcome her. She would pull my braids tightly as if to punish me for something that dwelled in a place deep within her.”

Jonas stared at the girl from the doorway as Martha continued, “Something that tugged at her from the center, like a hunger that could never be satisfied. She spoke of yesterday as though it were before her every eyes. As if today was but a veil that shrouded in shadow all that was real to her. The old world came to haunter her like a ghost that whispered to her in a dream how to erect the new world stone by stone. From then on, I knew that nothing changes. That all things remain as before. The spinning wheel turns, round and round in a circle. One fate tied to the next. A thread, red like blood, that cleaves together all our deeds.”

Annalise’s heart raced as Martha spoke, “One cannot unravel knots, but they can be severed. He severed ours, with the sharpest blade.”

Martha looked out into the audience and saw Jonas sitting there. She slipped up for a split second before being able to continue one more, “Yet something remains behind cannot be severed. An invisible bond.”

Bartosz started to call his friend wondering where he was. Jonas had said he was going to meet him. Why wasn’t he there yet? When he got sent straight to voicemail, he cursed aloud.

Annalise blinked. There was a long pause there that Martha normally did not do. Her face mapped her confusion as she tried to read her friend, but it was almost as if she wasn’t there to Martha anymore.

“On many nights, he tugs on it,” Martha started the next phase of her monologue, “And then I wake up with a start, knowing that nothing ceases to be. That all remains.”

Bartosz tossed his bike down then jogged into the forest to go and meet up with Noah.

After the rehearsal, Annalise smiled and hugged Martha. She giggled and said, “You did great! I have some critiques for you, but we can go over those when I get back.” Annalise grabbed Martha’s empty water and shook it, “I’m going to go fill this up for you.”

Martha nodded. “I’ll be here,” She called to her friend who went deeper into the backstage area. As she was taking off her lipstick in the mirror, she noticed the boy approach her.

“That was great,” Jonas said awkwardly, “You were great.”

Martha stared at him then asked upset, “What are you doing here?” She knew she had asked to speak with him, but not now. Not when Annalise could come back at any moment to interrupt them.

“I wanted to tell you something,” the boy explained walking closer. Jonas paused. He looked down and admitted, “I wasn’t in France. I was in the nuthouse.” Annalise had come back at this point. She heard Jonas and stayed behind the curtain and listened in peaking through a small crack. Jonas explained, “They call it post-traumatic stress.”

Martha asked, forgetting that Annalise should have been back, “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t want you to think I was a freak,” Jonas tried to laugh through the pain he was feeling. Martha shook her head trying to process him saying that. Jonas then asked, “What happened between us last summer wasn’t just nothing, was it?” Martha shook her head trying not to cry herself. “I mean if my father hadn’t…” Jonas started to ask, “If this hadn’t happened…”

Annalise’s heart started to ache. It was being tugged in so many directions. She wanted to interrupt. She wanted to run, yet her feet stayed firmly rooted in the ground. It was as if the Earth wanted her to see this. It was her punishment for not just taking Mikkel home that night.

“It’s okay,” Martha tried to comfort him.

Jonas stared at her then asked, “Why did you call me this morning and not Bartosz?”

Martha stood up. She was having trouble finding the words. She walked over to him. Martha stared at him for a moment before grabbing his face and kissing him.

Annalise fumbled back. Her gasp left unheard to the others in the room. When she saw Jonas start kissing back though, the world decided that it was enough punishment. It released her and Annalise bolted out the door dropping the water behind her.

Hearing the clatter of everything and the rush of wind past them, the couple broke away. “Annalise,” Martha cried out. She watched as the last of her friend was out the door and going faster than she could catch up.

Jonas blinked hearing Martha call to Annalise. His head shifted from Martha to the door then back. He slowly realized what had happened and ran after her.

Annalise ran faster than she ever did on German soil. She honed in her track skills from her school in America and just kept running nonstop. She could hear the steps of someone trying to catch up behind her, but all that made her do is run even faster to get away from whoever was chasing her. She thought of everything. She tried to remember her experiences with long-distance running with her own father. How proud he was when she won her first metal. Something he told her rang within her, “Run faster than anything even if you miss a hurdle or two, you will still get there. Just run. Use all your anger and frustration about failure and push on through.”

Jonas panted as he pushed himself trying to catch up. Just when he was getting close, she seemed to just go even faster. He tried to grab onto her, but she was always just out of his reach. Jonas couldn’t even talk or try to call her name at the speed they were running at. He ended up slowing down. He doubled over coughing. Pain filled tears gathered at the edge of his eyes. He watched as the girl ran even farther into the woods leaving him behind.

Annalise didn’t stop until she was out of the woods to the main road. She slowed her running to a light jog. She looked around. Regina’s hotel wasn’t too far, she reasoned. The girl sighed. She walked along the road heading to the closest convenience store to get something to drink.

Bartosz watched as a car drove up to him. He looked into it seeing a man in priest’s clothing. He introduced himself then entered the vehicle to speak with the man.

At this same time 33 years ago, another Kahnwald ended up betraying someone they loved dearly. Only instead of letting the truth slip out, Hannah told a lie and told the police that Ulrich had raped Katharina.

In the present, Katharina lay in Mikkel’s bed. She felt Ulrich come up behind her. While they embraced Katharina asked, “I will only ask this once. Are you cheating on me?”

“I’d never do that,” Ulrich lied to his wife after waiting a few moments.

Bartosz exited Noah’s car. He sighed and looked towards the power plant. As his eyes scanned, he noticed a figure stumbling across the street. Normally he wouldn’t think anything of it, but it looked very familiar. The beating of his heart echoed in his ears when he realized just who it was. He jogged across the street and called, “Anna.”

Annalise took another large drink of her mixed drink a very kind older man had given her. She smiled gently. It reminded her of the drinks she heard about back home. Fruit punch, Red Bull, vodka mixed in the right fashion still only seemed like fruit punch. He had given her a large bottle just with a few bucks and for “looking cute.” She drank as she made her way to the bus stop out of Winden. The burning sensation masking her heart being torn apart at the seams.

Bartosz easily caught up to the girl and grabbed her arm, “Anna! What are you doing, idiot?!” He kept a firm grip on her. Frustration rose into his chest. Where did she even get what she was drinking? Where was she going? Shouldn’t she be with Jonas or Martha or nearly anyone else? She never went anywhere alone.

“I’m going home,” she answered simply, “Now please let me go.” She tried to jerk away.

He shook his head, “What are you drinking? Jonas’s place is that way.” He gestured with his shoulder towards where his best friend lived. He stared at the girl floundering to get away from him. His heart started to ache. More than that. He was angry. Furious even. Filled to the brim with an anger he had never known before.

Annalise started to cry as she tried to tear away from his grip, “Let me go!” She started to yell at him. Tears built up pressure behind her eyes as she remembered back to what had driven her to this point. How she wished for the rain to finally start in this God abandoned town. The wind howled as it shook the trees awake. At least, she reasoned, that was on her side. “Let me go, Bartosz,” she repeated screaming at him with the full force she wanted to let out at everyone.

“No!” He roared back at her. He growled and continued to hold her there despite her struggle. He held onto her shoulders lawlessly despite her telling him that he was hurting her. He didn’t stop until he saw her liquid sadness drip from her eyes. His brain clicked. He pulled her into his arms. She always annoyed him because she always saw straight through him. To Annalise, Bartosz wasn’t even someone to be considered. He, and in some relation even herself, never got any of her attention unless he terrorized the girl. She never gave herself priority unless he forced her to put herself first through exaggeratedly pointing out the hypocrisy or absurdity of her actions or behavior. He wrapped himself around her. Was she always this tiny, he wondered. It was his first time ever fully embracing her. He had to bend down a bit to bury his face into her shoulder and neck. Oh, how it felt nice to finally hold someone, to hold her, in his arms, but he couldn’t dwell on his own happiness. He needed her to be happy. He thirst to see her smiling and laughing again.

Annalise beat her fists into the taller boy as the tears fell from her eyes. She continued to scream at him to let her go. The girl struggled as he just held her in an embrace. Her breathing was off. The thumping his chest made as she hit it reminded her how much she just wanted him to be someone else. She just wanted to go back home but she could never tell him that. Annalise hated every moment of this. She hated every moment of Winden. She just wanted to go back in time to right before she saw that moment and never see Martha grabbing Jonas’s face to...

Bartosz pulled his face away. There was something he had heard Magnus mention before while Mikkel was throwing a tantrum. He needed to distract her from her emotions so that Annalise could actually TELL him what was going on. He sighed knowing he was going to hate himself later for indulging the part of him that just revealed its ugly head, but he had to do it. With one hand, he trapped her wrists from continuing to beat into his chest. The other he used to grab her face. Bartosz pressed his lips against hers.

The girl froze. His lips were so desperate. She could feel his yearning for her to stop and think about what she was doing. She didn’t pull away. Instead, she allowed herself to kiss him back. There was a saltiness to it, yet tender and warm. Soon, she felt her wrists freed from his grip. She just gently rested her hands against the boy’s chest as his now unoccupied hand found a new home at the small of her back. Annalise forgot just who was kissing her. She was drunk, longing for love, and finally acquired a bit of that feeling of being wanted.

Bartosz pulled away gently. Annalise reached up and pressed his forehead against hers. Her eyes closed as the last of her tears drained from her. He calmed himself and asked, “Anna, what’s wrong?” He gently brushed her wild hair from her face, unstuck some strands stuck around her eyes from her tears, and put it in a place not easy to get stuck there again.

Her face contorted in agony. The fountain of sorrow slowly turned back on. Something about this moment felt as if something similar had happened before. It felt as if she, him, the moment, it was all supposed to happen. “I,” she started. She took a breath and then confessed, “I saw Martha kiss Jonas.” She choked on her words and started to cough.

Bartosz cooed at her and held her close once more, “It’s okay.” He swallowed hard and rocked with her. The boy just repeated that it was okay, that he was there with her, he wasn’t going to leave her, that everything was going to be okay until he could feel her body start to go limp. She must have been exhausted, he figured. He scooped her up and walked to his bike. He gently put the spent girl on it and lead them to the bike stop. He, then, tried to call Franziska. Unsurprisingly, she did not answer his call. He rolled his eyes and called Magnus then.

Magnus stared at Bartosz trying to call him. He never did that. His brow furrowed. “Hello,” he answered confused.

“Hey,” Bartosz replied. The boy looked at Annalise’s soft breathing on his bike. He shook his head. He placed his phone on his shoulder so that he could cradle her once more. “I have a giant favor to ask you.”

Magnus rolled his eyes, “Yeah? What’s that? Finally asking if you can screw my sister? Fuck off.”

“No,” Bartosz replied offended. He noticed Annalise start to stir from her slumber. He whispered, “I need to get in touch with Franziska.”

This made Magnus sit up. He growled as he asked, “Why?”

Bartosz huffed, “I have Annalise here. She’s drunk and needs a place to stay. I am very well not having her stay at my place.”

“Why didn’t you call Jonas,” Magnus asked annoyed.

“Why didn’t you call Jonas,” Bartosz mocked. He, then, angrily whispered, “Why do you think she’s drunk, asshole. They got into an argument.”

Magnus growled now more angry at Jonas than Bartosz. He sneered. He got up to start to get ready to go pick her up, “I’ll just grab her and bring her back. I’m sure Martha misses her anyway. She came home crying whimpering about Annalise.”

“No, no no,” Bartosz panicked. He nearly dropped his phone. The boy sighed and confessed, “I think it’s about her. Now can you just link me up with Franziska?”

“Okay.” Magnus simply hung up. He, then, called Franziska. He quickly explained that Bartosz needed to talk to her and that he would really appreciate it if she could do what he asked.

Franziska sighed as she called Bartosz back. “Hey,” she said disgustedly.

“Hey,” Bartosz started. He gently laid Annalise on the bench so that he could handle the phone better again, “Can you please talk your parents into allowing Annalise sta-”

“I already did,” Franziska interrupted, “Just bring her over. You better be glad this isn’t your precious Martha.” She quickly hung up with him and waited outside for the boy.

Bartosz sighed as he looked at his phone. He placed it into his pocket. He took off his outer jacket and wrapped it around the girl. He manipulated her to gently rest on his back. He then grabbed his bike and walked to the redhead’s house.

For the first time since Mikkel disappeared, Annalise didn’t have nightmares. Instead, she just floated in a dark void almost like an ocean that rocked her back and forth slowly. A small splash that resembled a groan would sound, but it only helped keep her suspended in this feeling of warmth, acceptance, and serenity.

Franziska intervened before he got too close to her house. She helped slide the other girl off his back. “So what happened,” she asked.

“She and Jonas got into it about Martha,” Bartosz answered simply. He gently removed his jacket from Annalise and put it back on. He reached into his pockets and asked, “How much do I owe you for taking her in and taking care of her?”

Franziska shook her head, “Magnus asked it as a favor. Why are you helping-”

“How much will it take for you not to mention me when she wakes up then,” He asked. From hearing Annalise mumble in her sleep, he could already tell she was going to forget about their encounter by the morning. He clarified, “I want to make sure she doesn’t remember this unless it’s in her own will and in the cards for her to remember. Tell her whatever she needs to hear to make sure she doesn’t question too hard. This is also for you not to ask me questions.” He started to count out at least 150 Euros in his head.

Franziska stopped him, “That’s enough.” She pocketed the money and slowly brought her inside. She shook her head at the craziness that she just found herself in.

Bartosz watched to make sure they got inside before he started to walk back home himself. His heart staying behind with the drunk girl who would forget about all of this and him once again in the morning.

Jonas ended up back home. He walked into his bedroom to find a package. He quickly opened it to find a round futuristic flashlight. There was also a letter to him, from his father. He grabbed it and quickly started to read it.

_Dear Jonas,_

_By the time you read this everything will have happened, irrevocably. It can no longer be changed. I would have liked to explain things to you sooner, but I hope once you understand how everything is connected, you will understand my decision. The truth is a strange thing. You can try to suppress it, but it will always find its way back to the surface. We make a lie into our truth in order to survive. We try to forget. Until we can’t anymore. We don’t know even half og the mysteries of this world. We are all wanderers in the darkness. This is my truth. On November 4, 2019, I traveled through time to the year 1986. The boy from the future stayed, and in time he became a man. Mikkel became Michael, who never knew where he belonged. By the time you read this, I’ll already be gone. Both as a boy and as a man. I hope you can forgive me. Everything is connected._

_Mikkel/Michael._

Jonas stared at confusion at the message. His jaw dropped as he came to the realization.

Tannhaus sat at his desk fixing his clock when a man walked in. He was ratty and dirty. There was a scar across his neck. He looked at the man and said, “I’d like to talk to you about time.”


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Annalise groaned as she woke up. She hazily tried to walk out to go take a shower only to bump into a dresser. She cried out in pain. She woke up fully then started to panic. Where was she? She held her head. What was the last thing she remembered? There was a bearded man who bought her alcohol. She closed her eyes trying to think. He reminded her of someone… She remembered mistaking him for someone...Who was it?

“Hey, you’re awake,” Franziska pulled the girl away from her thoughts.

Annalise’s face scrunched in confusion, “How did I get here?” Her head was pounding with a headache, “Can I get some water?”

Franziska nodded and lead Annalise into the kitchen. She folded her arms as she came up with a quick lie, “Oh, you know, Jonas brought you.”

“Jonas,” Annalise asked more confused, “What? No…He...”

Franziska realized her mistake quickly, “Oh well, you know, he apologized and thought it would be best if you stayed here to have some space.”

Annalise nodded as she filled a glass of water and started to drink. “Okay,” she nodded. She didn’t one hundred percent believe it, but she wasn’t exactly in a place to argue. Plus, she had a weird instinct that he was involved last night after she ran from him. That she had seen him again that night. There was a knock on the door. Annalise quickly turned her head.

“Oh you’re awake,” Magnus chuckled, “Have fun with Bar-”

Franziska quickly hit his side and grit her teeth, “That’s not very nice to make fun of her Magnus.” She looked towards Annalise and faked an explantation, “Jonas found you at a bar last night. Magnus helped drag you out. Right, Magnus?”

Magnus got the picture and nodded, “Yeah. That’s what happened.”

Annalise nodded. The girl excused the slip up as a language barrier. She took her phone out of her pocket and said, “I’ll text him a thank you then. I’ll probably head home too.” She placed the empty glass in the sink and walked out. She texted Jonas knowing that he would more than likely tell her if this wasn’t the truth, ‘Thanks for dragging me out of the bar and giving me space. I really appreciate it. Franziska and Magnus told me everything.’

Jonas quickly grabbed his phone hoping that it was Annalise. After everything that had happened, he needed his lifeline. His confusion spread to his face as he read her text. He blinked and wondered what had happened to her. He didn’t want to think about it too hard. He was just grateful she was talking to him. Jonas asked, ‘Are you coming home?’

‘Yeah,’ Annalise texted him back.

With this, Jonas knew he had limited time to actually talk to his mother about his father. He walked downstairs to find his mother already at the table. He sat down with Hannah and asked, “Mom, can I ask you a few things?”

Hannah nodded. She honestly thought maybe it had something to do with Annalise not coming home last night. “Yeah,” she said, “You can ask me anything.”

“How’d you and dad meet,” Jonas asked.

Hannah looked at him then blinked. This was not what she was expecting. Maybe he was trying a roundabout way of asking about romance, “In the hospital.” She answered honestly, “I was 14. Your father had a broken leg. And I was in a bad mood.”

“What was he like,” Jonas pried hoping that maybe all that letter was a lie, “Earlier. Before he got sick.”

This was definitely a weird talk. She shook her head. “He was…” Hannah explained, “different. You never knew if he meant something seriously or not.”

Jonas looked down trying to put the pieces together, “Mom…” He trailed off.

“Yes,” Hannah asked.

Jonas thought for a second. He had no idea what to do. He shook his head and responded with, “Nothing.”

After Magnus had snuck back into the house, he walked downstairs with his sister in solidarity. He followed behind Martha hoping that what Martha was expecting wasn’t actually going to happen. He also wanted to let Martha know that Annalise was safe, awake, and okay. Martha just headed down the stairs behind her brother.

Katharina threw down the remote and went to scold her children, “No, you aren’t going anywhere.”

“Is this supposed to go on forever?” Martha asked, “Keeping us locked up here?”

Katharina offendedly explained, “Locked up? Your brother has only been missing four days.”

“He’s not going to come back just because we’re sitting around,” Martha argued. She honestly was also trying to tell that to her brain that was just trying to make her stay and wait for Annalise to text her back. She tried to push past Magnus.

Katharina yelled at her daughter, “Come back here and talk to me!”

Martha walked into the same room as her mother, “I can’t let the others down. They need me.” She tried to convince both her mother and herself.

“Who needs you,” Katharina asked.

“The play…” Martha replied.

Katharina shook her head, “I thought the play was canceled.”

“No,” Martha explained, “Mr. Mienel said it’d be better t give people a break, so they can think about something else.” Honestly, Martha believed in that cause. She just wanted to use the play to be able to be someone, anyone, else for any duration of time. She cheated on her boyfriend, her brother was missing, and she broke her best friend’s heart by kissing the boy that she definitely had feelings for.

Katharina gave up with people, “Great.” Her voice growing more annoyed, “So everyone is just thinking of themselves.”

“You’re no different,” Martha yelled getting defensive, “Did you once think about us these last few days?”

“That’s enough,” Katharina yelled back.

Martha huffed. She looked around and spotted the posters. She walked over to the and pushed them down, “And how many more of these damned things will you put up?”

Magnus shook his head and tried to excuse Martha’s behavior, “She didn’t mean it like that.”

“Yes, I did,” Martha screamed, “I meant it like that. This is so fucked up! Everyone’s waiting for Mikkel to come back through that door as if nothing happened. Dad doesn’t even dare come home anymore! And no one gives a shit about us.”

“That’s not true,” Katharina retorted, “But for once, this isn’t about you, Martha!”

“You are so blind,” Martha spat venom at her mother, “Everyone’s thinking it, but no one dares say it. Mikkel is dead!”

Katharina slapped her daughter. Martha stared at her and then ran out of the house. Magnus took a deep breath. He walked over to his mourning mother and held her close.

Annalise walked back into the Kahnwald house. Right when she entered the door, the worried boy sprinted over to her. He wrapped his arms around her. He held her close. Jonas’s eyes started to tear up. He buried his face into her neck. He couldn’t believe how easy it was for her to come back. She truly was an angel. Annalise stood there confused. She reached up to pet his head, “Jon-”

The boy quickly intercepted her question with a kiss. Both of his hands cupping her cheeks to keep her with him. He ignored the screaming in his head about something about her seemed off, different. He was so terrified. His lips trembled against hers. All he needed was for her to be there with him. He clung to her as if she was the only thing keeping him there in that world. She was his tether, his serene in the storm. Everything was okay when she was around. Everything was normal when she was there. If he could perfectly encapsulate her to keep as a charm forever, he would. Jonas would do anything to keep her with him, even if it was just to prevent anything else from going wrong. He pulled away only to place his forehead against hers, “Lise, I’m-”

Annalise started to wipe his tears away, “Jonas, it’s okay.” She smiled gently at him, “it’s okay. Everything is fine.” The girl was reminded of having a similar feeling last night. There was something that happened the previous night. Annalise could remember the feeling of having been kissed. Was that… Annalise needed to get back out of her own head about this. She laughed a little bit at the boy’s reaction to her, “You need to calm down Jonas. Take some deep breaths with me and we can go upsta-” She simply had no idea what he was babbling on about. They had cleared everything up last night. Obviously, if they had kissed twice in such a short frame of time, then everything was okay. They were fine now, right?

Jonas shook his head. He dared not to open his eyes fearing that if he were, she would disappear again and this time never come back. “I promise I will make this right,” He vowed. He tore their foreheads away from each other to press his lips against her forehead, “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.” He walked his way upstairs with his hand grasped around her wrist. He looked at her seriously and said, “I have to do something and you cannot follow me. You have to listen to me about this. You can’t get wrapped up in this too. Please just wait for me to get back. I will fix everything.”

Annalise stood there confused as he went into his room. She could hear scrambling around. He was acting erratically. The girl swallowed hard. How could she try to comfort him? There was something that everyone in their circumstances faced when feeling guilt fo something. Sometimes it was best to let them do what they thought they needed to do. Other times, it was best to stop them, ut even in that case sometimes they would spiral worse. She stood there, so close to where he was, yet so far from where his heart and mind were.

Bartosz walked backstage of the play to go talk to his girlfriend. He knew what he had to do now. He wanted Annalise happy. The best thing he could do with that was to take people out of the equation so that way she and the boy she loved could finally only focus on each other. His chest tightened at the thought of her with his best friend, but Bartosz knew that he could never make her happy. She was always going to love Jonas. She always had loved Jonas in some way. He would only be fooling himself into thinking Annalise would ever love himself back. The best he could do is convince himself and Martha that they were in love and leave those two alone. Sure he had to lie, omit truths, but it was all to make her happy. If he could do that, he would be satisfied for the rest of his life. “Hey,” He finally addressed Martha.

She turned to face him, “Hey.”

Bartosz strolled over to his girlfriend and placed a kiss against her lips with his hands cupping her face. This definitely was different. He pulled away quickly trying to not focus on it. He asked, “How are you?” He wondered if she was going to confess to him.

Martha just nodded and walked back to her vanity to reapply her lipstick, “Good.” She knew she was lying to him, but what was she going to tell him? Was she going to tell him that she kissed his best friend in front of her best friend who for all she knew had gone missing? Was she going to tell him about the guilt gnawing at her insides?

Bartosz shifted. He walked closer to her. Was she really going to keep lying to him? He couldn’t blame her though, as much as this was hurting his empty chest, this was all a lie too. His heart wasn’t with them in that room. It was where ever the sunset girl was. “You didn’t call me back,” was all he could muster up to say, “I was getting worried.” He looked down guilty. What he was about to say was the absolute truth. He started with, “I’m so sorry about everything. It’s all my fault.” He thought to himself about if he would have just stayed away from Martha and instead focused his energy on Annalise, how could all of this be different. Everyone would be happy. “I shouldn’t have had that stupid idea with the caves,” He continued to speak his thoughts aloud. When she didn’t reply, he asked, “Hey. Say something. Are you angry with me?”

Martha looked up at him. She felt horrible. Here this boy was putting himself through the wringer all because she didn’t know how to tell him her feelings. She shook her head, “No. Why would I be angry?” She asked that question honestly. She pitied him. He was such a good boyfriend and here she was. Bartosz walked closer. He leaned down to kiss her only to be pushed away. Martha told him, “I can’t do this right now.”

Bartosz stared at her. He swallowed hard. Why couldn’t this just be easy for him? Why could she have the easiest time with what was going on and he felt like his world was ending? He stared at her and asked, “Do you want to leave?” This was his last-ditch effort. He needed her to say yes. He wanted her to say yes so that everything could go back to normal. He wanted so badly to leave this God-forsaken town. “I’ll run away with you,” he offered. He should have done this earlier. Before Mikkel, Before Annalise, Before Jonas. “Honestly.”

Martha shook her head and gave him a small shrug, “The play is about to start.”

Bartosz’s lips thinned into a line as he accepted the news. He turned to leave then asked, “Have you seen Jonas?” He mainly was wondering if they had talked since he had found Annalise. He had forgotten to ask Franziska to text him to let him know Annalise woke up the next morning safe. Plus he wondered if Martha was holding anything more from him.

Martha looked down. Did he really have to ask this? Did he know? Did Annalise tell him? Martha shook her head. No, Annalise wouldn’t. The girl never once actually cared for Bartosz. They were constantly fighting like cats and dogs. But the guilt continued to eat at her. She wished she had the strength to tell him the truth, but instead, she asked, “Why?”

Bartosz shrugged and turned away from her so that she couldn’t read on his face that he was only telling her the half-truth, “No reason. The jerk stood me up yesterday. But… Whatever. I’m sure he’ll come later.” Bartosz left.

Martha stood there looking up towards the ceiling trying not to cry.

Jonas stood in front of the caves. He was finally going to conquer thins and bring Mikkel home. He was going to have everything go back to normal. It was the least he could do for Martha and Annalise. With Mikkel home, they would both forget about what happened the previous night. They would be happy and go back to being friends. He could look Bartosz in the face again. He could be happy with the girl who put the work in to make him feel at home again. He could properly move on from the girl he slept with once who later dated his best friend since he wasn’t home. He crossed the line to walk inside.

Katharina stormed into her house from putting up posters about Mikkel. She tried to make herself a cup of coffee. She started to look at what else was on the table. She found an itemized bill for Ulrich’s cellphone. There was a number she didn’t immediately recognize on there that seemed to be a regular caller. She called the number only to be greeted with Hannah’s voice.

Annalise had changed and hopped into the shower. While she was there, she looked at Jonas’s products. A curiosity arose from her. She picked up his body wash and sniffed it. It was familiar and reminded her of the boy, but something ate at her. After her shower, she walked to her dirty clothes from the night before and this morning. She picked it up and smelled it. It smelled like a cologne had rubbed off on it. She placed it into the basket and went to the cabinet. She opened it to try and find if Jonas even had any. She found his deodorant. She took it out and smelled it just to check. No. That wasn’t a match either. Annalise shook her head. Now she was being weird with paranoia. She could just ask Jonas when he got back. Annalise slipped into her pajamas and walked into Jonas’s room. She sat on his bed and turned on his television to try and find something to pass the time until he got home. Annalise was initially supposed to see Martha’s play. But with the way things were now, she really didn’t feel like going to support her friend.

Jonas walked deeper into the cave. The deeper he went, the farther from his reality he felt. He took out his map and looked more at it before making his way into the dark.

Regina looked over her information with her hotel as she waited for someone, anyone, to come in. She closed her records upon seeing Ulrich. She asked him, “What are you doing here?”

Ulrich just stared at her then said, “1986. The night my brother went missing. What really happened?”

Regina squinted, “That was over 30 years ago.”

“You were the last one to see him that night,” Ulrich explained, “Did you notice anything unusual that day? Did he say something? Something strange? Anything at all?”

Regina shook her head.

Ulrich then asked, “Did you know they were having an affair? Your mother and my father.”

Regina made a face and nodded, “Mads was the only person I knew who never said a bad word about anyone. I’ve always asked myself, why him, of all people? I always thought it should have happened to you instead of him. But there’s no justice in this world. And the absurd thing is… had it not been for you and Katharina maybe Mads wouldn’t have disappeared. Mads knew I was afraid to walk home alone because of you two. Because of what you did to me. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone with me and returned through the forest and the whole thing would have never happened.”

“What happened in the forest back then,” Ulrich tried to defend himself, “It was a game. We wee children. We all made mistakes back then.”

Regina spoke up, “And still you never apologized for it.”

Ulrich sneered, “So this is about an apology for you? So that’s how you see yourself. A victim? Poor innocent Regina. You’re so fake it makes me sick! You told your drunken, good for nothing, grandpa that I raped Katharina.”

Regina gasped, “That’s what you thought?” Her face furrowed with confusion.

Ulrich took a deep breath. He looked at her concerned and confused, “Hannah saw you back then. At the police station.”

“Hannah,” Regina asked, “The same Hannah who at 14 was so in love with you that she would have done anything to have you?” Regina laughed, “But I guess that hasn’t really changed. So that’s what you thought all these years? That I spread that story?” Her face dropped, “Why would I do something like that? I’m not half as bad as you are.”

Just as Ulrich turned to walk out, Regina finally started to allow herself to cry. She finally understood why all of this torment had started for her.

As Martha got ready for her play, she looked out into the crowd. Her heart sank as she didn’t see her friend or Jonas there. Only Bartosz. She wondered if she should try texting Annalise again. The girl had left her on read for a while now. She grabbed her phone quickly and texted, ‘your ticket should be at will call with my family. You are still coming, right? I really want to talk this out. Please.’

Jonas squeezed his way through the tunnels following the guidance of the map. It wasn’t long before he noticed a string. It was very similar to the one that was on his bike the last time.

Back at the Kahnwald’s, there was loud banging at the door. It sounded as if an animal wanted to burst in. Hannah called Annalise that she would get it and hurried down the stairs to open the door. Right when she opened the door, Ulrich burst in. He stormed through the home at Hannah. “What are you doing here, I thought…”

Ulrich interrupted the woman, “What do you want from me?”

“What,” Hannah asked confused.

Hearing the commotion, Annalise snuck downstairs just enough to be there if Hannah needed her. Her heart raced. She could feel her chest start to close around itself. It was so hard to breathe.

“What do you want from me,” Ulrich repeated. When Hannah didn’t reply, he grabbed her neck and pushed her into the wall. “It was you in 1986,” he growled, “You gave a statement against me in the rape case. How sick are you?”

Hannah pulled at his hand, she could barely make out, “You’re hurting me.”

Annalise sat. She was frozen. She was terrified. She had never seen Ulrich that angry before. She squeezed her eyes shut and started to sneak her way down the stairs.

“Are you trying to ruin me,” Ulrich asked, “Do you want to destroy my family? Is that what you want? What do you want?”

Annalise stood behind the man and asked him with a face drenched in tears and terror, “Ulrich?”

The man quickly let go of Hannah and turned to her. His heart sank. He started to tremble. Was this also in Hannah’s plan? To use a girl that she knew had become like a daughter to him? Ulrich wanted to hurt Hannah just as much as she hurt him. He had a hunger for revenge. He turned back to Hannah, “You know what? You’re poison. You snuggle up close like you’re honey. But it’s just poison. How did your husband put up with you for so long? No wonder he couldn’t take it anymore, in the end.”

Hannah slapped the man hard across the face. Anger boiled within her.

Ulrich sneered. He started to leave, “I thought I knew you.” He stopped in the doorway and said, “How easily one can be deceived by people.” He took a look back at Annalise. He waited to hide his tears from her. Then he walked outside to head home after slamming the door.

Just as the door slammed shut, Annalise ran to Hannah and held her. The teen crying from terror. She clung onto Hannah. Hannah breathed hard then looked down at the woeful girl clutching her. She pet the young girl’s head. She leaned down and kissed it gently. “I’m okay,” Hannah whispered, “I’m okay.”

Bartosz sat and watched as Killian gave his speech during the play, “Now you have heard of her, the daughter of Minos. You think you know her. Is she not beautiful and good? You have let yourself be enchanted. By her words. By her pretty gaze. But, believe me. Everyone, whether the daughter of a king or not, has one foot in the shadow and only the other in the light.”

Jonas followed the tread. He kept his hand on the string. He knew that he could trust it. It would show him the way.

Aleksander called his wife. He had just found Regina’s letter about her cancer and had called the doctor to confirmed her diagnosis. He just straight asked her, “When are you coming home?”

Regina sat in the car as it poured outside. She explained, “Soon. I’m just picking up Bartosz from school. He insisted on going to this play.”

Aleksander sighed. He really didn’t want to talk about it while his son was going to be home. There was no need to worry him right now. The man simply stated, “I am here for you. You know that. No matter what. Don’t be late.”

Regina started to panic. He must have found the results. She didn’t know what to do. She loved her husband so much. She didn’t want him to think she was hiding it from him out of malice. It was just easier for her to forget if she didn’t tell anyone. As they hung up, they both exchanged their ‘I love yous.’

Martha sat with her classmate on the floor of the stage. She handed him a ball of red yarn and said, “Take this. It will guide you. You have to go deep inside, to the center. He’s waiting there in the shadows. Half human, half beast. You must be quick. Aim straight for the heart.”

“But is he not your brother,” the fellow teen in the play asked in character.

“It’s all the same to me,” Martha explained. Katharina slowly snuck in and found a seat in the back. “This bond we tie now, promise me you will never sever it.”

“I promise,” the boy said.

Soon, Jonas ended up at the midpoint. He, then, took out his geiger counter to follow the signal just like the not in red marker told him. He ended up finding himself to a coffin-sized tunnel. He took a deep breath and crawled inside.

“Nothing but darkness surrounds me,” Martha’s play continued, “Eternally lurking in shadows. I have not eaten in days. My eyes are turning black. The end is nearing. Just as he once descended into the maze, I now descend into the mine.”

Annalise lay in Hannah’s bed with her. Both of them still shaken from Ulrich, well mainly Annalise. The girl didn’t want to leave the woman’s side just in case he came back. Lise had seen intent in his eyes. He was a man on the edge and he could really have done anything. With Jonas gone as well, Annalise just felt safer staying with Hannah.

Hannah stared at the ceiling. She sighed gently. Her head turned to study the girl next to her. She reached out gently and started to pet her head. Her lips trembled. Was this what it felt like to have someone else other than family care about you. Was this how Ines felt when she came into Michael’s life? It was such a strange feeling. Hannah never had a daughter herself nor had she ever really wanted one before this moment.

Jonas crawled to an elegant door. It was so intricate. There was a triquetra in a circle on it with the words, ‘Sic Mundus Creatus Est.’ Jonas looked at the door before opening it and crawling through.

“So now I stand before you. No king’s daughter. No man’s wife. No brother’s sister. A loose end in time,” Martha steadied on, “And so we all die alike. No matter into which house we are born. No matter which grown. Whether we grace the earth briefly or for a long time. I alone tie my bonds. Whether I have extended hands or slapped them. We all face the same end.” Martha started to cry, “Those above have long forgotten us. They do not judge us. In death, I am all alone and my only judge is me.” Martha actually started to let it out. All the tears and pain she was feeling. All the guilt wept from her.

Katharina, realizing this was not part of the play, ran to her daughter. She gently took hold of her daughter and held her. She cooed in Martha’s ears, “Everything’s okay. I’m here.” She rocked her daughter gently.

As Jonas passed through the tunnel, every electrical device started to flicker. Katharina took this time to get Martha off the stage. Hannah reached out and pulled Lise into her arms so that way Annalise could stay next to her. The mother just hoping to see her son soon.” Charlotte still tried to investigate but was running around in circles as Peter and Tronte sat in the bunker. It was right on schedule of what the book told them.

Katharina walked her daughter out as Regina walked in trying to get her son. “Is the play over,” Regina asked, “You did you drag your daughter off the stage to save her from the sick people in this town? If you can’t stand living here… Why don’t you just leave?”

Katharina turned and just started to wail on Regina angrily. She was so frustrated and angry. How dare anyone speak about her or her daughter in such a manner?

Magnus luckily was walking inside from spending time with Franziska. He quickly pulled his mother away from the other woman and Martha stood frozen in the doorway.

Jonas just crawled his way to another door. He was able to open it with his one hand. A large gust of wind pushed against him as if telling him to g back. Then it suddenly stopped.

“Did you see that,” Regina tormented, “That is who your mother really is. You and Ulrich, you truly deserve each other.” Magnus walked his mother back to her bag until she pulled away from him. Regina plead, “Tell them what happened back then! Tell them who their mother really is.”

Katharina nodded her head out the door, “Let’s go.” Her two children scrambled through the doorway and followed her to the car.

Ulrich sat in his car staring at his photo album. They were filled with pictures of him, Mads, and his own children as babies. It wasn’t until one picture caught his eye and he realised the boy they had found, was Mads.

Bloodied and bruised, Regina walked into the arms of Aleksander who was awaiting her. He wrapped himself around her as she cried into him.

The rest of the Nielsen’s made their way home hand in hand with the others. Magnus and Martha climbed the stairs. It wasn’t long before she knocked on her brother’s door. She complained that she couldn’t sleep.

“Go away,” Magnus instinctively commented.

Martha leaned against his door frame, “Can we talk?”

“Yeah.” Martha walked in and laid now next to Magnus. Her head on his shoulder. Magnus then asked, “What the fuck was all that back at school?”

Martha answered honestly, “I don’t know.” They stayed in silence for a moment before she asked him, “Do you think things will ever be the same again? You know what I find weird? You don’t actually know your parents, do you? What they were like as kids or teenagers. You’re family, but you don’t really know anything about each other. Can I sleep here tonight?”

“Okay,” Magnus told her, “but keep those cold feet of yours on your side.”

Martha giggled, “You know who had the coldest feet?”

“Mikkel,” they said in unison. They laughed for a second.

Magnus smiled, “I don’t know how any of us dealt with that. He also would just put them on you if he knew it would bother you.”

Martha smiled, “Annalise used to just put socks and slippers on him before he was allowed in.”

Magnus laughed, “Yeah well when she got woken up by his kicking, she would come over here with me then sneak back in in the morning.”

“You never told me that,” Martha looked at him, “Why didn’t she just stay in my bed?”

“She said you talked too much when you two were supposed to be sleeping,” Magnus smiled.

Martha raised her brow but nodded. That was true. They never knew how to shut up when they were close. The would stay up all night reading scary storied or playing truth games or would you rather.

Jonas slowly made his way out of the cave. As he made his way to the bus stop, it started to rain. He slowly pulled up his hood and stared at the missing posters of Mads. As he stood there a truck stopped by.

A small girl lowered the window and her father called to him, “can we give you a lift? A bit late to be walking around alone.”

Jonas stared at the man. He recognized both of them almost instantly, that was his grandfather and his mother.

Hannah called to him, “You shouldn’t stay out in the rain so long.”

“Why not,” Jonas asked.

Hannah rolled her eyes then replied, “Because it’s acid. Chernobyl? People say it’s not in the rain anymore, but I don’t believe it.”

His grandfather told Hannah, “Hannah, move over. Come on, hop in. I’ll drive you home.” Hannah opened the door to welcome him inside.

In 2019, Hannah listened to the soft breathing of the girl asleep next to her. Hannah sneakily stole the girl’s phone and started to look through the pictures. There were a lot of her and the Nielsen’s, but before that, there were just some with her, her mother, and a man that looked to be her father. There was one of all three of them laughing while her father took a selfie of them. It was around Christmas time. They had matching pajamas on with giant smiles and laughter laying in bed together. Hannah smiled. Tears gently rolled down her cheeks as she was reminded of her own family.

Back with Jonas, he was actually fully processing what it meant if that girl was indeed Hannah, his mother. “Thanks,” Jonas said, “I’m okay.”

The two drove away from the boy confused at what just happened not realizing that the boy was their next of kin.


	7. Chapter 7

Helge woke up in a child’s themed room. It was blue with foxes and hedgehogs. A very weird chair sat in the middle. The young boy studied it as his ear bled. This was the memory old Helge woke up to that morning. It helped him remember everything.

Jonas woke up in an enclosed log deer stand. He checked to see if the letter was still with him before he climbed down and started on his journey to go find Mikkel. He first needed to start at the school. He saw a frizzy-haired brunette in the hall sitting by herself in the hall. He decided she was probably the best to ask, “What day is it today?”

“Pardon?” Regina pulled off her headphones.

Jonas repeated, “What day is it today?”

“November 9th,” She answered.

Jonas sighed and admitted, “I know this sounds crazy, but what year?”

“1986,” She shook her head in confusion. Jonas thanked her and started to walk away, but got called back by the girl, “Wait! Are you looking for someone?”

Jonas stared at the girl confused on how she would know this, “Yeah. A friend. Michael Kahnwald.”

Regina shook her head, “Never heard of him.”

“Ines Kahnwald’s son,” He tried to clarify.

“The nurse,” Regina asked. She shook her head, “She doesn’t have any children.”

Defeated, Jonas then asked, “Do you know where I can find Ines?”

Regina reached for her bag after hearing the bell, “The hospital probably.” She smiled at him, “Well, see you.” As she tried to leave, she got pushed and bullied.

Jonas stared. His heart went out to his friend’s mother. She, in some way, reminded him of his Annalise. She was kind, sweet, and would help out a random stranger. He wondered silently if that’s why his best friend was always giving Annalise a hard time. He shook his head, he couldn’t focus on that right now. He had to make it to find Mikkel then get home.

Egon sat in his office when he got the file from his superior about the power plant. He sat and silently wondered if Ulrich was involved at all in this.

In the present, Ulrich looked around in the files about Mads scattered in Mikkel’s room as if like a summoning circle that he could get all the information from some specter.

Woller, at the same time, walked into Charlotte’s office with the power plant search warrant. Charlotte quickly hung up the phone and grabbed it to head to the power plant.

At the same time 33 years ago, Egon drove to the power plant. He was greeted with the face of Helge. Just the man he wanted to see.

“Anything I can help you with,” Helge asked with a smile.

Egon shook his head, “It’s about the missing Nielsen boy. The night he disappeared, you were on your shift, right?”

Helge looked as if he needed to think back, but honestly, he was just confused and concerned that the man had found out about him, “Yes.”

“Martin wants to document and corroborate the routines and times of everyone who was near here that night,” Egon explained to the man.

Helge nodded in understanding. He checked his watch then told the police officer, “I have to do my rounds and check the blocks now.”

Egon nodded, “Okay, let’s arrange a time you can stop by the station then.”

Helge stared out into space for a moment then asked, “The day after tomorrow?”

“Tuesday?”

“Is 10:30, okay?” Helge asked the man.

Egon nodded, “That works. Sorry for the trouble.”

Helge shook his head and chuckled, “It’s no trouble. I just didn’t see anything. What I mean is… Everything was totally normal.”

Egon nodded and asked, “Your shift ended at six?”

Helge nodded, “Yes, that’s when the night shift starts.”

“Did you take your car,” Egon asked.

Helge nodded, “I took the state road.”

Egon looked up confused, “Were you heading somewhere else? Because you took the state road instead. Isn’t the forest road shorter?”

“Yeah,” Helge conceded, “I just picked something up for my father.” Helge nodded towards the officer and said, “I’ll see you Tuesday.”

Egon interrupted the other man’s leaving and said, “One more question. Did you see his brother anywhere that day? The older Nielsen boy, Ulrich.”

Helge shook his head, “Nope. Til Tuesday.” He closed the gate.

In 2019, Ulrich spotted this note in Egon’s day planner.

Aleksander walked out followed by a bunch of armed guards. Charlotte stared at him annoyed. She really did not enjoy this show of force. She held up the warrant for him to see. Aleksander, without a word, motioned for the guards to open the gates for her and her crew.

Hannah slowly pulled herself away from Annalise and out of bed. The rain and thunder had woken her up from her deep slumber. She walked into the kitchen and started to make breakfast. She was happy that she hadn’t woken the girl up yet. And as much as she loved her son, she was glad to be able to talk to Annalise alone. The woman slowly brought breakfast to her bedside. Hannah sat on the edge of the bed and gently rubbed Annalise’s shoulder, “Hey. Annalise.”

Annalise shook herself awake. She looked at the woman smiling down at her. Annalise smiled, “Oh is Jonas home?” Annalise sat up and yawned.

“No,” she explained, “But I think he will be back very soon.” She cupped her cheek gently then pulled away to motion to the food, “I actually made you breakfast. To thank you for being in Jonas and I’s life.”

Annalise smiled gently. She gave the woman a hug. The girl asked, “Can I stay with you until he gets back...I…”

Hannah smiled, “If that’s what you want, but I don’t think Ulrich will come back to hurt me.” She pet the girl’s head and said, “You have a large heart. You remind me very much of my husband, because of this, I can tell you love my Jonas very much. Thank you so much. We both need someone like that in our lives again.”

Back in 1986, Jonas walked through the rain trying to get to the hospital. He was just following the road huddled beneath his yellow raincoat. He started to panic when the police car had noticed him.

Egon, seeing a boy walking through the rain, couldn’t just leave the boy there. He lowered his window and asked, “Can I help you?” He watched the boy shake his head. Then Egon asked, “Shouldn’t you be in school?”

Jonas tried to quickly come up with an excuse, “I’m sick.”

Egon nodded and said, “You look fine to me.”

“I hurt my arm,” Jonas tried to come up with a cover, “I’m headed to the hospital.”

Egon nodded and motioned to the boy, “Get in. I’ll drive you there.”

As Ulrich tried to investigate more in the 33-year-old files of Mads, he noticed that Helge had no statement about what had happened that night. He then called Charlotte and explained. “Did you know that in 1986 your father-in-law was to be interviewed in my brother’s case?”

“No,” Charlotte said tailing the canvassing team.

Ulrich then told her, “I searched through all the files. Helge was supposed to be questioned on Tuesday, November 11, 1986. Exactly 33 years ago, from the day after tomorrow. But there is no statement. He didn’t show. There’s just a note. ‘Why not forest road?’”

“So you think Helge abducted Mads in 1986,” She asked the man, “And now Mikkel and the other boys 33 years later?”

“Where is he now,” Ulrich asked.

“In a nursing home Ulrich!” She sighed, “He’s 75 years old. He has dementia and the evening Mikkel disappeared, Helge was with me.”

Ulrich argued, “But the evening before Yasin vanished, Woller found Helge in the forest.”

“And took him back to the nursing home,” Charlotte cried, getting annoyed. He was sounding more and more paranoid with every passing day.

“Somehow this all has to do with Mads,” Ulrich claimed.

Charlotte shook her head, “You are barking up the wrong tree.”

“Maybe,” Ulrich admitted, “but maybe not.” He ended up hanging up on his boss.

Charlotte turned, noticing a route through the field that went into another part in the woods. She started to follow it to try and figure out more.

Jonas rode in the car with Egon. He was honestly just wondering how his mother and Annalise were holding up with him suddenly gone without much of a word. Did Lise think he was out with Martha right after having everything happened? Was she wondering when he was going to be home? Was she cry-

“What’s your name,” Egon asked, pulling the boy from his thoughts.

“Jonas,” he said without much thought as he turned to the man.

Egon then asked, “And why didn’t you have your parents drive you?”

Jonas shrugged, “My mom is at work. My dad’s dead.”

Egon then asked, “Where does your mother work?”

“At the power plant,” Jonas explained knowing that was an easy out for him.

Egon nodded, “The power plant has changed Winden. This place used to look different.” He looked towards the boy for a second, “What’s that there?”

Jonas pulled out his earbuds from out his pocket and showed it to him, “Earphones.”

Egon laughed, “Those aren’t earphones.”

“You just put them in your ears,” Jonas explained.

Egon shook his head, “Now I’ve seen it all.”

In 2019, Charlotte ended up following the path. She found the gated cavern that Claudia herself was once led to. She knew she had to talk to Aleksander about this.

Egon, soon, pulled up at the hospital just 33 years prior. He let Jonas out of the car, but not before asking, “Among you teenagers, Is Satanism a thing right now?”

Jonas laughed. “No idea,” He was so grateful for the laugh before he realized the officer was serious. He shook his head and replied, “No, I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

Egon then advised, “Call your mom to pick you up, it isn’t the best time to be walking through the woods alone right now.”

Jonas nodded. He exited the car thanking the officer. He slid his bag back on his back before walking into the hospital. He walked to one of the nurses and explained, “I am looking for Ines Kahnwald.”

“She was just outside with the boy,” She explained.

Jonas shook his head, “What boy?”

Her brows furrowed. She studied the boy, “What do you want Ines for?”

“I am visiting and I locked myself out,” He lied.

She shook her head, “Ines didn’t mention a visitor. Are you related?”

“Yes,” Jonas said, “You could say that.”

She motioned towards the back doors, “Maybe she’s still out back. Otherwise, I’ll tell her when I see her.”

Jonas shook his head, “No, I don’t want to be in any trouble.”

33 years after that encounter, Ulrich snuck into Helge’s room. He walked over to the man to whisper to try and wake up the older gentleman. When Helge woke up, Ulrich introduced himself, “My name is Ulrich Nielsen. I am a police officer. Don’t be scared. I just want to ask you a few questions.”

Helge started to panic seeing the man he had nightmares every night since he was a child. He started to shake his head terrified.

“In 1986, a boy from Winden Vanished,” Ulrich stated ignoring Helge’s reactions, “Mads Nielsen. Do you remember? You were summoned to the station for questioning but there’s no transcript. What does ‘Why not forest road’ mean?”

The heart monitor screamed out of control for a nurse to check in on the older man. A nurse finally burst in to see Ulrich leaning over the man repeating the question over and over while Helge just tried to communicate. She walked over to the man and asked, “What are you doing here?”

“It’s him,” cried Helge.

Ulrich tried to explain, “I am a cop. I want to ask a few questions.”

Helge struggled out the words, “I know you!”

“What did you say,” Ulrich asked as the nurse tried to pull him away from Helge.

“I can change it,” Helge mumbled, “I can change the past and the future.”

The nurse called out to try and get someone else to help her remove Ulrich from Helge’s room so that Helge could continue living in peace.

“What did you say,” Ulrich asked as the nurses soon surrounded him and started to carry him out, “Where’s Mikkel? Where’s my son?! Where’s Mikkel?”

Meanwhile, in 1986, Jonas walked out the back trying to find Ines so that she could help clear everything up. That is when he spotted them, the younger version of his grandmother and there next to her sat Mikkel. Behind him, the older Jonas, scarred and rugged by his many adventures through time, stated, “How little we understand of the world.”

Jonas turned to him and asked, “Is this real? Or am I crazy, just like my father? Do you even exist? Or are you the hallucination of a lunatic?”

“You are not crazy,” the wiser Jonas stated, “Neither was your father. Sometimes it’s hard for us to grasp things that go against all that we are conditioned to believe. How do you think people felt the first time they were told that the Earth was round?”

Jonas swallowed, “Yes it is. It’s totally insane.”

“And if it’s not?” the older him refuted back.

“How can that be,” Jonas asked with an insane smile on his face, “Is there a breach in time in the cave? So Mikkel hangs out here until he becomes my father?” He must have hit his head in the caves.

The older Jonas, annoyed, replied, “Even if you don’t want to believe it, that is your father.”

Distraught, Jonas looked back at the younger boy and said, “That means...That Ulrich is my grandfather and…”

“Martha is your aunt,” the man who went through this before replied.

Jonas growled, “That’s bullshit.” He was growing more and more annoyed. None of this was right. He just wanted to go home and have everything go back to normal. Martha and he doing this weird dance along the edges. “I’m taking him back and putting this right,” Jonas spitefully spat at his older self.

Knowing exactly what his younger self was thinking, Stranger Jonas pushed Jonas against the back of the car, “Don’t you get it?! If you take Mikkel back, you’ll be meddling in the course of events. Your father will never meet your mother, they won’t fall in love or get married. And you won’t be born! If you take him back now, you’ll be erasing your own existence. The role you play in all of this is much bigger than you think.” He pulled away thinking of a moment that will come to pass for his younger self not too far into his future. His heart ached as he explained tearfully, “But every decision for something is a decision against something else.” He panted as the memory unfolded for him. He could tell his younger self wouldn’t understand but was still terrified at the implications. He further explained, “A life for a life.” He started to calm himself as he asked, “What will you decide?” He wished that the outcome would change, but he knew it wouldn’t. If it had, then he wouldn’t be here as he was with a memory that would haunt him forever and a necklace in his pocket to keep her close to him.

Jonas tearfully watched as the older version of himself walked away. He then turned to watch Mikkel continue eating the green jello Ines had gotten for him.

Charlotte sat on her desk in 2019 as she scolded Ulrich. Ulrich only used this to explain his, correct, theory that the dead boy, Mikkel, and the other disappearances had something to do with Helge. Charlotte tried to sympathize with him, but there was no feasible way this had anything to do with her father-in-law.

Back in 1986, Helge opened up his glove compartment and grabbed the raider bar out so he could eat it.

Mikkel, himself, got hungry around the same time, so he hobbled his way down the hall to the vending machine.

Jonas quickly followed in toe to watch Mikkel. He wasn’t completely convinced not to do anything. He was just about to approach when he saw the younger version of his mother walking up to the boy. Jonas quickly stood back just out of sight to watch. He could see them talking. He wondered if anyone had come back to do the same for him. He pulled out the letter and stared at it. Jonas then decided that he knew what he had to do.

Helge walked to the bunker. He looked around to make sure no one followed him before going inside.

Jonas crawled his way through the caves back home. He, then, made his way into his home. He snuck in quietly without anyone noticing. He wanted to first visit his mother. He walked over to her bedroom to notice something strange. There was a smaller body on the side closer towards the door. There, fast asleep, lay Annalise. He blinked for a second before shaking his head and going to his mother’s side.

Hannah, feeling a dip in the bed, quickly jolted awake. She groaned a bit expecting it to be the girl, but instead saw her son sitting there. He was dirty and sweaty, but he was finally home. “Boy, you startled me,” Hannah complained in a hushed tone to make sure she didn’t wake Annalise, “Where were you?”

Jonas just stared at his mother. He didn’t know what to say, or do for that matter.

“What’s wrong,” Hannah asked, sitting up more in her bed.

Jonas stared at her and asked, “Do you believe in fate?”

Hannah looked down thinking about how to best answer this question. She had never lied to Jonas before, so she really wasn’t going to start now, “I… I don’t know. Maybe it’s my fate that men leave me.”

Jonas stared at his mother in sorrow. He hated seeing his mother like this. He silently wondered if something had happened while he was gone. “I think Dad loved you very much,” Jonas told her.

Both of them stared at each other, tears filled their eyes as they thought back to Michael. Jonas slowly pulled his mother into a hug and held her as she started to sob. This woke up Annalise.

The girl was so excited to see Jonas back home that she nearly pounced to give him a hug, but then she heard it. Their soft weeping. She slowly sat onto her heels and waited for them to be done. When they pulled away, Jonas looked towards the girl. She gave him a warm, tender smile before motioning up to say she was going to head upstairs.

Jonas nodded and mouthed that he would see her there in a moment. First, he had something he needed to do. The boy shut himself in his father’s studio with a bucket in front of him. He pulled out the letter and a lighter. Jonas deliberately set it aflame and dropped it into the metal bucket. He started to cry knowing that he was just destroying one of the last offerings of his father. He felt his presence in his life start to fade as the letter burned.

Ulrich walked into Helge’s room to find him missing. He looked around hoping to find a clue to where he had gone. There on the table rested that clue. ‘The Journey Through Time’ by H.G. Tannhaus with a necklace made of a coin from 1986 tied with a red sting. He knew he was on the right path. Hearing someone close a car door far too easily, Ulrich checked the window. That was when he noticed the sliding door was open. He walked out to see Helge pacing his way to the caves. Ulrich quickly called Charlotte and updated her letting her know that Helge was a time traveller. He watched as Helge went to the crossing and followed him.

While 1986 Helge climbed out of the bunker with the poor boy’s body. He dragged the body to the caves while Noah cleaned the floor. His back tattooed with Sic Mundus’s mark.

After he burned the letter, Jonas changed into his sleeping outfit. He looked to his bed. When he saw that Annalise wasn’t there, he crept down the hall to find her in her bedroom. The boy gently knocked on the door to let her know that he was there.

Annalise sat up more in the small bed. She watched him. Jonas didn’t have to say anything. She knew what he wanted, what he needed. She moved closer to the wall so that he could crawl in with her. When he didn’t quite move, Annalise tilted her head but moved more to the other side so he could have the wall side.

Jonas slowly made his way into the bed after she crawled to the side he wanted her on. Tears ran down his face. He adored that he didn’t have to talk with her. Somehow she just knew. He rest his head on her pillow and turned to his side so that he could hold her close to him. He pulled her to him leaving little space between them. As he clung onto her, he grieved and bawled into her pillow.

Annalise stiffened up as she felt him pull her so close to him. Not that she didn’t want to spoon with him, she just didn’t expect him to do so. She reached behind her and stroked his head. She lowly started to shush him, her voice staying hushed and compassionate to help calm him. Annalise didn’t know how long it was, but she kept caressing him and calming him until he had fallen asleep. His whimpering slowly turned to tempoed breathing. His hold never let up though. It was as if he was clinging onto the last possible string of hope he had in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for such a short chapter this time! We are closing in on the "season final" soon though! I already have the last world completely written out. Martha's World is also completely mapped out to how I want it! Season 2 is going to be a crazy ride to that and I cannot wait for all of you to see the full story unfold! There was a bit of foreshadowing in this chapter, so even though it's short, it's still important to the narrative!


	8. Chapter 8

Helge rode his bike home from school. The small boy heard the police siren and waited for a young Egon to drive past. The small boy followed the car to the build site where they had found two boys’ bodies there dead in the dirt pile. As Egon turned, Helge noticed he was going to be spotted. He turned and started to head home once more in 1953.

Back in 1986, the older Jonas walked into Tannhaus’ shop. Tannhaus looked up and commented, “On time, like a clockwork.” Jonas walked and sat in the waiting chair for him. The clockmaker then asked, “Where were we?”

“The Einstein-Rosen Bridge,” Jonas said as if he had done this a million times before.

Tannhaus nodded, “A passage between a black hole, the entry, and a white hole, the exit, which connects time and space. To pass through it, is to travel through time.”

In 2019, Ulrich tried to follow the older man, who was repeating ‘Tick-Tock’, down the tunnel. He slowly followed the path. Hesitant to be misled, Ulrich took it one step at a time.

Tannhaus continued, “Our thinking is shaped by dualism. Entrance, exit. Black, white. Good, evil. Everything appears as opposite pairs. But that’s wrong.” The man drew a symbol on a piece of paper and showed it to Jonas, “Have you ever heard of the triquetra?”

“The trinity knot,” Jonas confirmed seeing the picture.

Tannhaus smiled, “Nothing is complete without a third dimension. There isn’t only up and down. There’s a center, too. I think Einstein and Rosen overlooked something. A wormhole connects not just two, but three different dimensions. Future, present, and the past.”

Ulrich, having reached the crossing, crawled inside. It tried to push him out. Like he didn’t belong there.

Just outside that connection in the cave, Helge just got home. He opened the door to his home to have his mother come down the stairs to berate him about being dirty. The timid boy tried to explain himself to no avail. She just ordered the boy to remove his clothes so that she could have it washed. Helge shrunk into his jacket as if he were a turtle trying to hide.

His mother pulled on his ear, “I told you to take off your clothes.”

Helge winced then started to strip out of his dirty clothes dropping them carelessly to the floor. He stood in front of her embarrassed to be seen in such a sight. His clothes felt like armor. Now there he was, without it.

His mother angrily huffed before demanding, “Stay here.” She turned and stormed up the stairs.

Bernd walked into his house to see his shy son standing in the entrance hall in just his underwear. He coughed and took off his hat to let Helge know he was behind him. Once his son turned to look at him, Bernd caressed Helge’s face, “Hello, my boy. What have you been getting into?”

Helge smiled happily at his father. He explained, “I was at the construction sight!”

“Oh that’s good,” the man said laughing.

Helge nodded, “They found something there.”

“What did they find,” Bernd asked, trying to ignore his cruel wife.

Greta stood annoyed, “He’s been creeping around again.”

Bernd ignored the comment with disdain and asked his son again, “Tell me, what did they find?”

“There were police everywhere at the construction site,” Helge started to explain again.

“Police,” Bernd asked.

Helge shook his head and clarified, “Two dead bodies. In the middle of the construction site.”

“What are you talking about,” Greta asked.

“They looked like kids,” Helge looked to both of his parents.

Bernd leaned down and whispered, “What? Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Helge confirmed.

Bernd looked up at his wife pleadingly hoping she would understand. He grabbed his hat and hurried out the door once more.

Once the door closed behind her soft hearted husband, Greta asked, “Are you lying?”

Helge shook his head scared. He trembled as his mother gave him new shorts to put on. She scolded him, “You’re late. The coins for Claudia are on the table.”

Ulrich emerged from the cave in 1953. He looked around confused. THe forest was so different. He ran trying to go find the old man he had been trying to follow.

“One, two, three,” Helge practiced as he rode his bike to their family’s small cabin out in the woods. His eyes were closed every time he counted, “One, two, three, four, five…” Once there, he grabbed a large stick and started to pretend that it was a rifle. Then he spotted it, the bunker. He walked over to it and opened the heavy door. It screeched having been lost to time with no oil. He walked inside and started to pretend he was making his rounds. He grabbed a pine cone off the shelf that he had carefully placed and threw it pretending it was a grenade. After tossing it, the boy ran for cover and hid behind the shelf in the fetal position. He spent a lot of time playing in the bunker. He looked to the side to see dates written in chalk on the walls.

“You write about Nietzsche’s eternal recurrence,” The older Jonas brought up to Tanhauss in 1986, “A universe that expands then collapses again. A universe that repeats itself endlessly.” Jonas placed the book on his desk.

Tannhaus smiled, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that.” He grabbed the book and started to look through it, “There were only 500 copies in total.”

Jonas continued to question, “You write about the lunar-solar cycle, in which everything repeats itself every 33 years.”

Tannhaus nodded, “From a cosmic point of view, yes. Every 33 years, the cycle of the mood is synchronized with that of the sun. But the 33 is more than that. We encounter it everywhere. Jesus performed 33 miracles. There are 33 litanies of angels. Dante’s 33 cantos in purgatory, and 33 in paradise.”

“And it is the age at which the Antichrist begins his rule,” Jonas concurred.

In 1953, Noah stood outside the church. A sixteen year old boy walked towards him. “Noah,” he called.

Noah turned to the boy, he smiled, “David, where are you heading this fine morning?”

David shrugged, “Adam told me to come check up on you. Then I can do generally whatever I want. I’m leaving soon anyway.”

Noah nodded. He watched as the boy walked away, “Oh, David?”

David stopped, “Yeah?” He turned to the man. He looked at him with a small tilt in his head. Noah couldn’t help it but to laugh a bit. So much of David reminded him of his once friend. He was so natiive and quiet. Yet, he was like the sunrise in the morning. He filled the world with so much light and hope. Noah guessed he couldn’t help it though. David was practically raised by Adam since he was small. There were very few people he had seen Adam treat with sentimentality, David was one of that few. The aforementioned man had even given the boy his name when the young boy couldn’t remember it 12 years ago. All he could remember was his last name, Dahlheim.

Noah chuckled, “Can you go get us some bread? I think we will be expecting a visitor soon. Also, don’t forget how important your part in all of this is.”

David rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Everything is connected and I have to make sure I do my part.” He sighed seeing Noah’s upset face at David’s dismissive attitude about everything, “Sure, I’ll go get us the bread. I have nothing better to do unless Adam suddenly decides he now wants me to do something here.” He forced his hands into his pockets and walked away with a light and airy whistling tune.

Noah watched the teenager walk away again. He knew that he couldn’t say much to reprimand the boy. He needed to have this rebellious streak in him so when they sent him to America to complete his part, he would be more charming to the girl he eventually were to marry there.

The file of the dead boys splayed across Egon’s desk as he stood there smoking. He wondered to his captain what made people want to kill and hurt others. No matter how much he had been through and seen, he still didn’t understand such cruelty.

“Why someone becomes a murderer,” Daniel asked to make sure he had understood Egon right.

Egon nodded, “Yes. Are they born one or do you become one?”

“It would certainly make our work easier if we knew ahead of time,” David chuckled as he started to put out his cigar, “Lock them up while they’re still little. Before they get on the wrong track.” He laughed, “Why does someone become a murderer?” He walked out of Egon’s office to leave the man alone to contemplate.

Helge was just leaving the cabin when two older boys confronted him.

“Hey weirdo,” One of them called out to him. He threw a rock towards his direction, “Why the big hurry?”

“Buying silk stockings for mommy,” the other one tormented. He commanded the other boy who had just then grabbed Helge, “See if there’s anything in his pockets.”

The large boy pushed Helge down easily and sat on him to hold him beneath him.

“Leave me alone,” Helge yelled.

The boy on top of him laughed, “Scream, no one will hear you.” He grabbed the money from his pockets then slapped the boy across the face. He stood up and backed away to allow the smaller older boy to stand in front of him.

“Don’t piss your pants,” he teased as he undid his fly, “Your old man’s got dough coming out of his ears.” He started to urinate on the poor little boy for a split second before being tackled down.

David, who had been passing through the woods right at that second, saw the two older boys tormenting Helge. His blood boiled. He howled in anger as he dove in head first into the other boy and just started to wail on him with his fists. “Pick on someone who can fight back, asshole,” He yelled as he hit. All of his anger and hatred of what happened to his family, his people, bubbled to the surface as an animalistic rage took over him. He didn’t even care that his clothes and fists were becoming bloodied and that his knuckles were going to scab over due to the scraps and force he was putting on them. His teeth barred. He was an unstoppable force for a while. No one could get to him through his anger.

Hearing another stick break, the bigger one of the bullies turned. “Someone else is coming,” He warned, punching David off so that the 16-year-old landed next to Helge and pulling the other boy away. David stayed on the ground only realizing how tired and hurt his arms actually were from his encounter. The adrenaline started to subside and bleed out of the boy as his red blood dripped onto the brown dirt below him.

The smaller boy looked to see Ulrich in the distance, “Let’s get out of here!” He ran assuming that Ulrich was either a guard for Helge or maybe even David’s dad. Hearing the commotion, Ulrich turned to see two boys on the ground as two larger boys ran away. He looked devastated at the two lying on the ground. He started to jog over to them as David helped the young boy up and started to help with the bike.

“Hey, wait a minute,” Ulrich called to them. David stopped and turned to look at the strange man. He started to study him. Helge put his bag back on his bike and looked up at Ulrich as well. With both of the boys attention he asked, “Did someone just come by here? An old man in pajamas?”

Both boys shook their heads at him confused. Blood dripped from David’s nose, mouth, and knuckles causing Ulrich to wince. He looked at poor Helge and could smell what must have happened. The two boys reminded him of himself and Mads when they were younger and alive. He turned to Helge and told him, “You have to defend yourself, or they’ll never stop.”

“But they’re stronger than me,” Helge complained.

Ulrich walked closer and whispered, “Then just bite them next time. You can’t always rely on your brother to save you. You have to be able to do that yourself.”

As Ulrich walked away, David shook his head, “I’m not his brother. Just someone passing by!” He gave up trying to talk to the strange man in costume and turned to Helge, “He is right though. What’s your name, kid?”

“Helge,” The boy replied, holding out a hand for David to shake, “Helge Doppler.”

David nodded and grasped the boy’s hand to give him a firm handshake, “David. David Dahlheim.” He smiled and asked, “Need an escort? I’ve got nowhere I got to be.”

Helge nodded and walked with the boy to Claudia’s. Helge listened as David told Helge the most amazing and awe inspiring stories. Helge watched as David told the stories with such skill and passion. His eyes lit up while talking. It made the younger boy feel safe and understood.

Tannhaus explained to Jonas in 1986, “Imagine you’re standing in an infinitely large, dark room, shining a light to the left. The beam should continue in the same direction forever. There’s no reason to assume that it could come back at you from the right. But a wormhole changes the topology of space-time. Bends it. Nothing is where it belongs anymore.”

Ulrich, in 1953, jogged trying to find the older Helge in vain. He looked around confused as a woman pulled her car up next to him. Agnes walked out of the car and walked up to him, “Hello, can you help me?” She explained, “Excuse me. We’re not from around here. I’m looking for Killinger Strasse 61.”

“That’s where I live,” Ulrich replied automatically, “It’s down the road and then to the right.”

Agnes smiled and asked, “Are you Egon Tiedemann?”

Insulted, Ulrich replied, “No.”

Agnes shook her head, “How rude of me. My name is Agnes Nielsen.” She walked over to her grandson and held out a hand to him, “And this is my son Tronte. We’re new in Winden.”

Ulrich’s face contorted in confusion. He squinted and looked towards the car.

“Tronte,” The boy’s mother called to him, “Come and say hello to the nice man.”

Ulrich took a step back as he saw Tronte and heard the boy greet him. This must have been a mistake and he was more injured going through the caves than he thought. He asked, “You’re Tronte Nielsen?”

Tronte nodded.

Ulrich continued, “And you are Agnes Nielsen?”

“Yes,” the woman replied simply.

Ulrich looked at the book he had taken from the older Helge’s room and decided that would probably be the best place to stop next.

Tannhaus continued to explain to the older Jonas, “Imagine traveling back in time and meeting your father. Before he had you. Would you have already changed things with this encounter? And is it even possible to change things? Or is time an eternal beast that can’t be defeated?”

“What do you think,” the older Jonas asked, “Can we change the course of events?” He was desperate. He needed to know if he could fix this.

Tannhaus shook his head, “Any scientist would tell you no. Causal determinism forbids it. But it is human nature to believe that we play a role in our own lives. That our actions can change things. All my life, I’ve dreamed of traveling through time to see what was and what will be.”

Jonas shook his head, “You don’t dream that anymore?”

“Dreams change,” Tannhaus answered, “Other things become more important. My place is not in the yesterday or tomorrow. Rather, it’s right here and now.”

Ulrich walked into the younger Tannhaus’s shop. The younger man walked to see Ulrich there and asked, “Can I help you? Are you looking for a watch?”

Ulrich looked down at the book then looked up to ask, “Are you H.G. Tannhaus?”

Younger Tannhaus nodded while taking a step back.

Ulrich then held out the book and asked, “This H.G. Tannhaus?”

He shook his head in response seeing the older picture of himself, “No, not the same guy then, right?”

Ulrich looked at him seriously and asked, “What year is it?”

“1953,” Tannhaus responded, “Stalin is dead. England has a Queen and Nanga Parbat has been conquered. 1953 as it lives and breathes, yes.”

Ulrich shook his head, “It’s not possible. Impossible.”

“The number 33,” Stranger Jonas in 1986 commented, “you write that it could be the time difference between the planes of a three dimensional wormhole.”

“That’s just a theory,” The man mumbled as he continued working, “But perhaps it could be the crux of the matter.”

Claudia played with her dog until she heard the doorbell. There at her door stood Helge with a handsome boy she had never properly met before. She looked down at Helge and said, “You’re late. I told you before to be on time.” She held out her hand for her payment

Helge lied, “Claudia, I forgot the money at home. I’ll bring it over later.”

Claudia sighed as she held her dog close, “Fine. Come in then after you introduce me to this fine gentleman.” She watched as David had turned to walk away putting on his cap.

“David,” Helge told the older boy, “I think she wants to meet you.”

David turned just enough to see her and turned back to Helge, “Well you’ve told her my name now, huh Bud? No reason I need to scare a cute girl like that with my messed up face and hands.”

“I can handle it,” Claudia pouted and stomped over to the boy. She turned him around to see a big coy smile on David’s face.

“Well then,” He took off his cap and playfully bowed, “David Dahlheim. It’s nice to meet you…” He trailed off waiting for her.

Claudia rolled her eyes. She did not like this boy’s attitude as if everyone loved him. She decided she had to be polite enough since she was the one who started this conversation in the first place, “Claudia Tiedermann. Nevermind about you. You get out of here before I tell my dad that you were the one who beats up poor Helge.”

David chuckled and waved, “See you later Helge. Stay strong pal!” He turned and walked to the bread store whistling his happy tune knowing full well he was probably going to be stopped by some concerned mother.

A little later, Claudia and Helge sat at the table while he tried to do some math problems. Helge had such a hard time with school that it practically bored Claudia to death. Soon there were two people at the door. Doris smiled as Claudia came in. She introduced her daughter to the new tenants that were going to be living with them.

The Tannhaus in 1953 offered Ulrich some water and asked if Ulrich would like him to call a doctor. The man shook his head. Soon his store bells started to ring again. He turned to see Ines and Jana walk in. He shook his head. Those two were inseparable weren’t they?

“I’m here to pick up my Dad’s watch. Is it ready,” Ines asked.

Tannhaus pulled out his orders and started to look through them trying to find the one labeled Kahnwald. He smiled, “Here you go, Ines. Purrs like a kitten again.”

Ines leaned over the counter and asked, “Did you hear what the police found this morning?”

“No,” Tannhaus replied, “But, I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”

Ines started to gossip, “Jana heard it in the teachers’ room. They found two dead bodies on Doppler’s construction site.”

Upon hearing his mother’s name, Ulrich leaned forward and whispered to himself. He continued to listen in now. He really felt as though his was vindication.

“Two little boys. They were abducted by aliens,” Ines continued, “For experiments.”

Ulrich hurried to the girl and turned her around to face him, “What did you just say?”

Ines stared at him terrified, “About the aliens?”

“No, about the boys,” Ulrich grit his teeth.

“The police found two dead boys this morning,” She explained.

Ulrich looked at the rest of the people before running out. He left his coat in Tannhaus’s Shop.

Tronte and Claudia walked through the woods together with Helge trailing behind. Part of the young boy wished that he had asked David to stay with him or something so that he could have someone to talk to while Claudia doe eyed at the new boy who just moved in. When they got to the caves, Tronte stopped and stared at it as if something was calling to him.

“These are our caves,” Claudia explained, “We’re not allowed to go in very far. But sometimes we do it anyway. As a dare, you know?”

Tronte asked, “A dare? Sure.”

Claudia turned to see Helge standing near them, “Shouldn’t you be heading home by now? And you still owe me a mark.” She watched as he nodded then ushered Tronte to walk with her, “Come on. Let’s keep going.” She wrapped her arm around his and whispered just loud enough for Helge to hear, “We’re rid of him.”

Helge became angry. He looked at the dog Gretchen and tossed a stick for her to go fetch into the caves. He stood there for a moment waiting for the small poodle to come back out of the cave, but it did not. Instead, Helge ran from responsibility as Claudia tried to call for her dog.

Ulrich argued with the officers inside of the station. He was just trying to find his son, he tried to plead with the other officers. Egon walked back into the station and asked, “What’s going on here?”

“The two boys you found this morning, what did they look like,” Ulrich asked the man, “Did one have brown hair? 11 years old?”

Egon asked, “Why do you want to know?”

“My son…” Ulrich explained, “My son disappeared. All I want to know is if one of the dead kids is mine.” He started to break down, “His name is Mikkel. He’s 11 years old. Brown hair. Blue eyes. He’s about this tall,” Ulrich gestured, “I have a picture.” He reached to grab it out of his jacket when he realised he had left his coat at the shop.

Egon dismissed the other two officers and replied, “No. One’s pretty dark, brown eyes. Foreign. The other a bit taller, bright red hair.”

“You’re sure there wasn’t a third,” Ulrich asked.

“Have you reported your son missing,” Egon asked.

Ulrich walked back to Egon and asked, “Do you know someone by the name Helge Doppler?”

“Bernd Doppler’s son?”

“No. Old, about 70.”

“The only old one is Bernd Doppler.”

Ulrich started to back up. He started to put all the pieces together. He ran downstairs trying to find Helge.

“But you…” The older Tannhaus talked to the bearded Jonas, “Why are you so fascinated with time?”

Jonas answered honestly, “I want to understand if I can change it. If everything has a purpose, and if so… who decides about this purpose? Coincidence? God? Or is it us? Are we actually free in our actions? Or is it all created anew, in an eternally recurring cycle? And we can only obey the laws of nature and are nothing but slaves of space and time.”

Egon walked into his house, finally off of his shift. Doris greeted him at the door and helped him strip out of his over coat. She whispered to him about the new tenants being there in their house. Doris brought him over to meet Agnes himself.

“Your wife has told me many things about you,” She smiled at Doris and looked back at the man, “You have a very nice home.”

“Thank you,” Doris blushed.

Egon studied Agnes and asked, “Did you arrive today?” When Agnes nodded, Egon then asked, “May I ask why you came to Winden of all places?”

Doris tried to scold him, “Stop questioning her!” She turned to the other woman and explained, “My husband is a policeman. He can’t help being curious.” Doris laughed.

“My grandmother is from Winden,” Agnes told him, “She always gushed about this town.”

Egon nodded, “May I ask what your grandmother’s name was?”

Right as if on cue, Claudia ran in exasperated, “Gretchen is gone! In the woods.” She doubled over panting with the leash in her hands, “She was there and then she was gone.”

Egon strolled over to his daughter, “Calm down and tell me what happened.”

Claudia took in a deep breath, “I was showing Tronte the woods, the path down into town. Gretchen was with us the whole time then she disappeared.”

As Claudia spoke, Doris started to look around worried. She felt as if something was off. “And where’s Helge,” she asked?

Claudia started to put together some pieces, “Maybe Gretchen is with Helge.”

Doris nodded, “Yes.”

Egon nodded, “That must be it.”

Doris gently touched his arm and asked, “Can you go and find out?”

Egon made a face then said, “I was going to see the Dopplers anyway.”

Doris stopped him before he left and said, “I invited Agnes and Tronte to dinner. Don’t be late again, Okay?”

Egon nodded and walked out of the house to go and try to find Gretchen for his beloved daughter.

“Time loops have a significant impact on the principle of causality,” Tannhaus lectured Jonas, “On the relationship of cause and effect. As long as a wormhole exists, there is a closed time loop. Inside it, everything is mutually dependent. The past doesn’t just influence the future. The future also influences the past. It’s like the question of the chicken or the egg. We can no longer say which of the two came first. Everything is interconnected.”

Ulrich snuck around the back of the Doppler house looking for the boy. Helge sat on a little stone monument in the backyard. He was admiring his collection of dead birds he had started collecting. Ulrich climbed down to meet with Helge.

The man asked the boy, “You’re Helge Doppler, aren’t you?”

Helge looked up at him, “Yeah, why?”

Ulrich pulled out the coin necklace and handed it to Helge, “Look at this.” Helge took it into his hand to study it. Ulrich sat down next to the boy and asked, “Have you ever seen that before?”

Helge shook his head, “No.” Ulrich swallowed hard. Was he really going to do what he thought he needed to do? Would he really go that far to save his own child? Helge looked up and asked him, “Did you find the man you’re looking for?”

“Yes,” Ulrich said, staring straight into the boy as if he was a predator that just trapped it’s prey. Yet he still held remorse.

“You look sad,” Helge stated.

“What’s in your box,” Ulrich asked the boy. Helge grabbed the box, opened it, and showed it to Ulrich. The man winced then asked, “Did you kill them?” When Helge didn’t respond, he asked again, “Hey. I asked if you killed them.”

Helge shook his head then looked up at the sky, “They just fall from the sky. They just plop down. I just collect them. They’re so beautiful when they’re dead.”

Ulrich looked down at his hands trying to figure out how to phrase what he was thinking. He looked up and said, “But you will kill something. The two boys at the construction site. My brother. My son. Not now, but in the future.” Ulrich started to play with his hands. He mumbled to himself, “But I can change it, you know. I can change the past.” Getting scared, Helge started to try to get up to run back into his house. Ulrich quickly grabbed him. “If you don’t exist, all of this won’t happen.” He carried the boy back.

Helge bit Ulrich’s hand just like he had taught him and tried to scramble away from the large man, but Ulrich was quicker and grabbed his ankle. Helge then kicked him in the face and started to run out towards the bunker. Ulrich closed on his tail. The boy had just made it to the door when Ulrich grabbed him and threw him down. Helge tried to grab a rock to defend himself, but Ulrich quickly took it from him. The man’s face wrinkled in agony at what he was going to do. His stomach churned as he held the rock up and started to bring it down straight on the side of Helge’s head.

Upset with what he had done, he dropped the rock and stared at the lifeless boy. He stood up and looked around. That was when he spotted the perfect place to put him. The bunker.

Egon waited for Greta down in the entrance way. When she came down, they discussed the matter at hand about his family’s missing dog. Greta was insistent that the dog was not in her house because animals were not allowed inside. Egon left without too much arguing knowing that he really didn’t want to be on that side of Greta’s wrath.

After this encounter though, Greta walked out calling for her son. He didn’t respond quickly which was a bit uncommon for the boy. Then she saw it. The box of dead birds.

Ulrich dragged the limb boy’s body down into the bunker and closed it up.

There was a new feeling in Winden. As if everything was just starting in their tiny home town.

Years later, the bunker was actually converted into the make believe bunker Helge had once pretended it to be. The old woman stared at all the connected pictures of the major players in Winden. Their pictures all next to each other to show how they had ages and connected like a web all together. She stared, hoping to figure out Adam’s moves and how to get herself out of this Apocalypse and knot.

“All our lives are connected,” Tannhaus told Jonas, “One fate bound to another. Every one of our deeds is merely a response to a previous deed. Cause and effect. Nothing but an endless dance. Everything is connected to everything else.” The man unfolded his arms, “But that’s just a theory. I can’t shake the feeling that you’re actually here about something else.”

Jonas chuckled, “What if I told you that everything in your book was true? That time travel is possible. Your theory on the formation of wormholes through gravitational impulses is not just theory. There is such a hole. Here in Winden.” Jonas paused before continuing, “I come from the future.” He walked to his bag and started to open it to give the man his time machine. “I traveled through the wormhole to 1986,” He explained. He opened up his time machine and showed it to Tannhaus.

The man responded, “Where...Where did you get that?”

“It’s broken,” Jonas responded, “You have to fix it.”

Tannhaus laughed, “I can’t do that.”

Jonas pointed to his initials, “Aren’t those your initials? You built it.”

“This device,” Tannhaus asked, “enables you to travel through time and space? It can create a wormhole?”

Jonas stated to clear up Tannhaus’s questions, “It opens a portal through which one can travel 33 years into the past and 33 years into the future.”

“And the wormhole you traveled through,” he asked, “Did that device create it?”

Jonas shook his head, “No. A few months ago an incident at the nuclear power plant released a blast of energy. But the device is able to repeat the same process.”

“And you want to create another wormhole,” Tannhaus asked.

Jonas shook his head again, “No, I want to destroy the one that exists.”

Tannhaus pointed to the door. “I want you to leave now,” he said.

Jonas stared at him confused, “This town is like a festering wound. And we’re all a part of it. But I can change it. Your device can change it.”

“Leave,” Tannhaus demanded, “Leave now.”

Jonas closed his suitcase, grabbed his bag, and started to respectfully leave. He turned to give the man one last message, “I’ve seen the future. I know what will happen. I have to set things right again and you have to help me.”

Tannhaus sighed after the man walked out. He slowly went to his own secret project and pulled it out. He stared at it. Remembering just when he first started to work on it.

The young Tannhaus walked to Ulrich’s jacket and picked it up. He placed it on his coat rack. He then checked it, finding a cellphone, a device completely new to him and this time. The man studied it carefully before getting startled by the noise and dropping it to reveal the picture of the Nielsen’s and Annalise there on his background.

Ulrich sat distressed in front of the bunker having no idea the repercussions his actions were going to have.


	9. Chapter 9

That morning Jonas woke up slowly. His lulled senses were comforted by the smell of the girl next to him. His eyes actually remained closed in fear that if he were to open them, she would not be there with him and that her presence in his life at all was just all a pleasant dream to soothe himself of his misery. He pulled her tighter to him at that thought. He curled around her entangling their legs together to trap her there with him. Tears fell from his eyes without his permission, yet he couldn’t stop it. He pressed his forehead against Annalise’s neck as his body heaved.

Annalise slowly untangled her legs just enough to be able to turn to the boy. She snaked her arms around him and pulled him closer. The girl pet his head. She steadied her breathing taking large, slow, breaths to calm him down.

Jonas buried his face into her neck and wrapped his legs with hers again. His fingertips pressed into her and pulled into his fists taking parts of her shirt with them. He felt so small so powerless to do anything of value. His lips brushed against her skin as he blubbered. His breathing fast and shaky as if trying to cross a recently frozen lake that just started to crack. The feeling of her fingers rubbing circles into his scalp soothed him. His well of grief started to dry up as he calmed. He allowed her warmth and soft nature to finally reach him once more. Her light shined past his clouds giving them a nice rosy hue.

Annalise gently pressed her lips against the side of Jonas’s head. “It’s okay,” She soothed, “Everything’s okay, Jonas.” She started to finger comb her way out of his hair so that she could trace patterns into his back and shoulders. Despite being so close to him, her heart was actually complying and not allowing the lack of space between them to affect its job. She rubbed her cheek against his head. “I’m here,” she whispered, “You’re safe here in my arms.”

Jonas nodded and slowly pulled his face out of her neck to press his forehead against hers. His shattered breathing tried to mimic Annalise’s. His cheeks burned as she brushed his tears away. His throat was dry. It hurt when he tried to speak, “Can I stay with you today?” He felt so weak, like a child asking their mother if they could stay home from school. Jonas felt as if he was admitting defeat until he felt her hands interlace themselves with his.

Annalise brought his now held hands up to her lips and kissed his knuckles, “Of course you can. We can even stay right here if you want us not to move.”

“I’m sorry,” Jonas admitted.

Annalise giggled, “It’s completely okay, Jonas. What else would you want to do?”

A growl erupted from his stomach. Embarrassed, his face glowed. He started to chuckle and commented, “Eat probably. I forgot to eat yesterday.”

Annalise shook her head and wiggled her nose against his, “No wonder you are being so emotional today then Silly. You need to eat.” She pulled away from him after kissing his forehead and went to her wardrobe. She opened it up to try and find a suitable outfit for that day.

Jonas carefully tore himself from the comfort of the bed. Once his feet hit the cold harsh floor, he rushed and held Annalise once more. He rested his chin on her head. His arms wrapped around her waist.

Annalise patted his head and asked, “Do you want to pick out my outfit?”

Jonas nodded forcing Annalise to squirm down to make sure he was comfortable.

“Okay,” she smiled up at him through the mirror inside the door, “What sort of thing were you thinking?”

Jonas blanked. He had no idea about what girls wore or what looked good. He felt like an idiot for saying he wanted to pick out her outfit. He started to panic, “Uh…”

Annalise laughed, “It’s okay! Why not you just pick what sort of...feeling… you want the outfit to give and I pick based on that?”

“Uh…” Jonas tried to think. He sighed and placed his cheek more on her head, “What do you mean?”

Annalise giggled, “Okay, so what do you want to do today?”

Jonas shrugged, “Whatever you want to do. I just... “

“It’s okay,” Annalise tilted her head and kissed his cheek, “Why don’t we take a bike ride and go have a small lunch out at the lake?”

Jonas nodded, “That sounds fine to me.”

Annalise smiled and removed herself from his arms. She took his hands as she looked at him, “Do you wanna invite your mom out with us? It might be good to have a family outing.”

Jonas shrugged again, “As long as you are there, I don’t mind.” He really hoped that Annalise wouldn’t invite the rest of the group though. He didn’t really want to have to deal with seeing Martha right now nor did he want to see anyone else for that matter. But if she did, he'd just try to stick to Annalise like glue.

As if she could sense his hesitation, Annalise smiled and told him, “It could just be you and me if you want through Jonas. No one else has to be with us if you aren’t comfortable…”

Jonas nodded quickly, “Please.”

Annalise pulled one of her hands away to place it on his cheek. She watched as he pressed against her palm as if it were the only comfort he had in the entire world. The girl giggled and said, “We are going to have to part ways for a little bit, okay? Why don't you go hop in the shower while I change and go make you some breakfast?”

Jonas nodded, but did not move. His feet firmly planted so that he wouldn’t leave. It took him a minute to unstick himself and turn to go to the bathroom to take a shower.

Annalise walked downstairs to see Hannah getting ready to leave for a job. She smiled and gave the woman a hug. She waved her off and started to cook some pancakes for the boy. She laughed as she cooked ignoring her phone which had Martha frantically texting her.

Jonas washed off yesterday and watched it go down the drain. He was alone. Very alone. He groaned. The cool water kept his mind from wandering too far down the rabbit hole. He did zone out until he smelled it. They smelled different though, like it was burnt.

Screaming rang through the house as Annalise watched her pancake start burning. She tossed it into the sink and tried to put it out with a towel. Luckily the banging on the stairs meant Jonas was on his way. She started to cry. The fire was out but there was the burnt pancake.

Jonas nearly slipped running downstairs as fast as he possibly could while still getting dressed decently enough. By time, he got to Annalise, she was standing there crying, staring at the sink as black smoke rose from the pan. She looked as if her entire world was ending just because she burnt one pancake. Her fingers clutching her hair. Her body shaking. Jonas couldn’t help but laugh. He ran his fingers through his hair laughing.

Annalise turned to the blond. “It’s not funny,” she pouted, going over to cry in his arms, “We make pancakes differently in America.” Tears streamed down her face. She tried to sniffle them back.

Jonas nodded, “It kinda is though. Funny, I mean. I have no idea about the different pancakes.” He wrapped his arms around her and rocked her trying to stop himself from laughing.

After calming herself down for a little bit, she realized that they had more skin on skin contact than normal. She pulled away and blushed. She grumbled at him, "go put on a shirt."

Jonas chuckled, "how do I know you won't burn the house down as soon as I turn my back again."

"Well, if I can somehow do that while making cereal with milk, then I have a new magic show," Annalise joked back. She turned and tried to reach up for the box of cereal. She smiled to herself.

Jonas reached up to grab it and teased, “The fiery temptation Lise of burning heart.”

“And silent but ever present, lovely assistant, Jonas,” she teased back, snatching the box from him.

Jonas laughed, “I get it. I get it.” He pressed his head against hers for a second, “I’ll be back soon.” He released himself from her to walk upstairs to finish getting changed.

Annalise smiled as she started to throw away the defunct pancake while she made them bagels instead. She grabbed the jam and placed it on the table along with a few other toppings. This felt nice. As if they were already in love with a house of their own. Annalise hummed as she got everything ready for the two of them. She also started to pack some food for the picnic later. The girl daydreamed of their future life. She moved her hair from her neck so that the image of Jonas in her mind could rest his head there as she worked. Annalise bit her lip thinking of his lips pressed against her neck, not in sorrow, but full of love. The girl didn’t realise she was giggling until she heard his voice.

“Still thinking of our teases,” he asked. Jonas sat at the table. Something felt melancholic about this delightful moment. He sat and ate trying to figure out what it was. Then it hit him. This was basically exactly like before. When his father was around, every breakfast was just like this. He sorrowfully smiled.

Annalise kissed his temple, “Is there something wrong?”

“Hm,” Jonas looked up at her, “Oh, no. I’m sorry. It’s perfect actually.” He smiled, “It just reminds me of some of my happiest days.”

Annalise moved to sit across from him. She smeared jelly across her bagel and took a bite, “Oh?”

Jonas nodded, “Thank you. For everything I mean. It’s nice to have a day of normalcy.”

“Well, if normalcy is what you want, we can…” Annalise trailed off.

Jonas shook his head, “I thought your original plan was better.” He took a bite of his cereal. He smiled at her with a full heart.

Bartosz stared at his phone. There on his screen was a picture of Annalise on Magnus’s shoulders and Martha on his in the middle of the water trying to knock each other off. Everyone was all smiles then. The four of them were a perfect team and laughs were never scarce. Thinking back to a few minutes after that picture, Magnus tossed Anna off his shoulders, knocking all three of Bartosz, Martha, and her into the water. Bartosz remembered seeing her terrified face for a split moment before Martha and he pulled her up. After she was out of the water, she had panicked with only him seeing it as Martha was already fighting with her brother. The girl was shaking, hyperventilating, and crying. She was doubled over whispering to herself. Every part of her was trembling in an instinctual fear. Right when he reached to touch her shoulder, Anna came back to life. Her smile illuminated once more. She laughed, “Oh. You rightfully won then right? No need to rub it in Bartosz.”

Bartosz smirked and chuckled, “Well there’s no need to cry over losing either, but here we are!” He slicked back his hair from his face while talking to her trying to hide that he was concerned for her.

Annalise had rolled her eyes, “Thanks I guess.” Her sneer still rang through his mind. He didn’t want to hurt her, but soon Martha and Magnus were at her side taking care of her. There was a flutter in his gut. He knew he did the right thing. As Martha scolded him, he couldn’t take his eyes off Annalise starting to smile once more. A small quiet part of him at the time was delighted seeing her bubbly once more.

Meanwhile, Martha stared at her phone. Neither of the two had texted her since the incident. Her heart ached. She realized now just how much Annalise must have liked the boy. He was something like the boy she described as one of the reasons for her coming to Winden. However, Martha knew for a fact that Jonas was not that boy, because he was with her that day and night. She shook her head off and just tried to focus back on the fact that Jonas had kissed her back. She wasn’t crazy. He loved her. She loved him. This was going to work out fine. Annalise would grow to be okay once she was back home.

Jonas chuckled at Annalise’s hesitation to get on his bike. He shook his head, “I promise we won’t fall.”

“I don’t trust you,” Annalise laughed, “Magnus had a lot more practice with Mikkel and Martha. How much have you had?”

He chuckled, “None.” He laughed seeing her back away from him. He grabbed onto her waist, “No, no, no.” He held her close, “You just have to trust me that I won’t let us.”

Annalise rolled her eyes, “You are insane. Let me go. We can just walk.”

“You said bike ride earlier,” He smiled.

She shook her head, “Fine. But I am not happy.” She handed Jonas the basket which he tied to the back. She stood on the cogset. Annalise hid a smile in his hair as they took off.

It was not long before they both were there laying on the sandy beach eating, laughing, playing. The two teenagers finally having a moment of rest together before the next day arose.

That next day in 1953, Ulrich sat outside the bunker. He was in awe and disbelief of what he had done. Had he really killed a child. If so, why was he still here? His hands shook as he cried. He really had just killed a child.

Bernd sat in Egon’s office. He was there to report Helge’s disappearance. He was terrified the people who were against the powerplant had taken his son. He needed to know that they were going to find Helge.

Egon walked into his office, “Mr. Kahnwald told me that… your son has gone missing.”

“Yes, since yesterday,” Bernd confirmed.

Egon asked, “And when was that exactly?”

“My wife said it was around three o’clock,” Bernd explained. Egon started to hurriedly make notes as the man leaned over, “Mr. Tiedemann, I want you to find my son. Whatever it costs. I don’t care about anything else. The nuclear power plant, anything at all. Just bring me back my son.” He put his hat on and excused himself out of the man’s office.

Greta sat with Noah and confessed, “I prayed to God to get rid of the child before it was ever born. And after I had him, I prayed every day that something would befall him. Because he may not be Bernd’s child. Because maybe he wasn’t a child created out of love, but…” She trailed off then sighed looking at the paster, “That’s what’s in my head. Every day. I can’t escape it. It’s my fault.”

Noah shook his head, “We are all full of sin. No pure human being exists. But no matter what we do, we never fall any lower than into God’s hands.”

“And what if they aren’t God’s hands,” Greta asked him, “What if they are the hands of the devil?”

Noah comforted her. He gently placed a hand on top of her clasped ones in her lap, “God sent me to you. Did he not? We don’t meet the people we meet by accident. We touch the lives of others and are touched ourselves, and thus God’s hands guide us to our true destiny. Let us pray. Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil… for you are with me...” Noah looked at the picture of Helge and turned back to her, “your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Ulrich walked along the road with his head down when Egon spotted him. Right when Ulrich realized what was happening. He took off running into the woods. He tried to make it to the caves, but the young Egon tackled him to the ground. When Ulrich was able to crawl away, Egon pulled his gun and shot it into the air.

“Stop,” He commanded. He then pointed his gun at the man who slowed his pace to a stop. Ulrich placed his hands out already knowing the drill. “Hands up,” Egon yelled, “What did you do to the two boys at the construction site?” He asked. Ulrich turned to the man. Egon then asked, “Where’s Helge? That was you too.”

Ulrich asked, “The two boys? That’s impossible. They can’t be there. I changed that.”

“What did you change,” Egon asked, keeping the gun up.

Ulrich panted from running so hard, “The course of time. Helge’s dead. Helge can never be able to kill again.”

“You’re a madman,” Egon shook his head at Ulrich, “Go on, turn around. Turn around! Down!” Egon kicked behind Ulrich’s knees annoyed at how slow Ulrich was going, “On your knees!”

“But I changed it,” Ulrich whispered to himself as Egon started to cuff the man.

Down in the bunker, Helge sprang to life causing the second canister in the time machine to go up.

In 1986, Boris ran through the forest trying to get away from the cops. He held his shoulder and bag as he limped. He could hear the dogs barking trying to get to him and find him. He ducked behind a tree and lifted his mask up to take it off. He then placed it on his wound while hiding his gun in his jeans.

Seeing Katharina standing outside by herself, Hannah walked over to her. Katharina turned her head and blew her cigarette smoke in her face, “Piss off.”

Hannah stayed and asked, “I just wanted to know, is Ulrich still in prison?”

Katharina tilted her head and replied, “They have to release him today.”

“Did Tiedemann say who told him,” Hannah asked.

Katharina shook her head at the young girl’s question and took another puff of her dirty habit.

“And you and Ulrich,” Hannah asked.

Katharina looked at Hannah and asked, “What about us?”

“I don’t know,” Hannah answered, “Won’t your mom freak out if you keep seeing him?”

Katharina nodded but shrugged, “I don’t care. Nobody’s going to come between us. That’s love, you know. It’s stronger than hate. But you don’t get that yet. If I find out who told the cops that… I’m going to clobber them.”

Hannah started to calculate things. She looked up and said, “Maybe it was Regina. I mean, Tiedemann is her grandfather.” After that seed was planted, she turned and said, “See you.” She left Katharina to her thoughts.

After school, Ulrich held Katharina. His chin on her shoulder as they leaned up against the lumber. Katharina commented, “I can’t believe you were in jail Ulrich. That’s really harsh.”

Ulrich took her cigarette out of her hand and smoked a bit of it himself. After, he handed it back to the girl and blew the smoke out. He went back to cuddling her.

“Why does Tiedemann have it in for you,” She asked after flicking off some of the ash to the ground and handing it back.

Ulrich half-jokingly commented, “He thinks I’m the AntiChrist.”

Katharina giggled until she saw Regina walking home. She stormed over to her, “Hey, Tiedemann! Damn four-eyes!” As Regina took off her headphones, Katharina pushed her, “I know what you did. You trying to get me back for the summer? It was a game. We wouldn’t have left you hanging there all night. We couldn’t have known you were so damn fragile!” Katharina pushed her again.

Regina trembled. She bent down to pick up her violin, “I have to go.” She tried to leave, but Katharina pushed her away from her instrument.

“You see this,” Katharina asked, “My mom did this. And why? Because you fed your grandpa bullshit!”

Regina cried out, “I didn’t! Honest!”

“Rape,” Katharina growled, “is that the best you could come up with?”

Ulrich grabbed onto his girlfriend’s wrist trying to get her to back down, “Come on Katharina.”

The girl pulled away from him and whispered down to Regina, “You make me sick.” She took her knee and shoved the girl in the stomach with it.

Regina doubled over in pain and agony.

Boris walked out of the forest seeing a blonde girl beating up a smaller brunette. He yelled, “Hey, stop!”

“Screw off,” Katharina yelled at the boy, “It’s none of your business.”

He continued to walk to them, “I told you to stop.”

Katharina pushed Regina away from her, “And I told you to screw off.”

Boris looked at them. He motioned to Regina and said, “Apologize to her.” When Katharina didn’t move, he took out his gun and cocked it, “I said you should apologize.”

Ulrich started to back off knowing that the other boy was serious.

“And how do I know it’s real,” Katharina asked.

Boris took the magazine to show the girl that it was full and placed it back in. He pointed it back at her again and said, “You two get the hell out of here, and fast. And if you hurt her again, I’ll finish you.”

The couple quickly ran away. Boris limped over to Regina. He put his gun away and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Everything’s okay.”

Regina’s breath was taken away. She stared at him. When she finally took her breath back, she smiled, “Thanks.”

Boris nodded. He then collapsed backwards. He reached into the inside of his jacket to check his wound again.

“You’re bleeding,” Regina said, concerned.

Boris started to sit up again, “It’s not so bad.”

Regina shook her head, “You have to see a doctor.”

Boris shook his head at her scared that they were going to find him if she took him to the hospital.

Regina offered, “We have bandages. My mother isn’t home. I can do it.” When she watched Boris nod, Regina asked, “What’s your name?”

“Aleksander,” Boris lied.

A middle aged Helge walked out of the bunker with one of the belts and a pan. He had no idea he was being watched by the older version of himself. Helge walked inside the cabin to go to clean it up as well as start on his art project.

After being cleaned up, the, now, Aleksander took all the evidence and buried it while being watched by Hannah. After he finished with that, he walked into Claudia’s office. He introduced himself with a cocky smile.

“So you’re a friend of my daughter’s,” Claudia asked, “And all this time I thought she didn’t care about boys.” She stood in front of her desk.

Aleksander nodded, “I’m new in town. Looking for work. Regina told me you might be able to help me.”

Claudia asked, “Do you have training?”

“I’m a metal worker,” he explained, “I can work. Hard. I’m a fast learner.”

The woman looked him over, “You’re not from here?”

“All I’m asking for is a chance,” Aleksander said.

Claudia stood up, “I’m sorry. We don’t need anyone at the moment. But maybe we will soon. Where can I reach you?”

“I’ll just come by again tomorrow,” the boy explained with a smile.

While this happened, Regina started to brush out her curls trying to straighten them.

Noah worked with the middle aged Helge on the chair. Helge shook and asked, “Why doesn’t it work?”

“It will, be patient,” The man told Helge, “Do you think Einstein would have given up so fast? It is the fate of pioneers to persistently pursue their aim. To believe, although no one believes.”

Helge shook his head, “I don’t want to do this anymore.” He held the screwdriver tightly, “Why would God want any of this?”

“Yes,” Noah said, walking towards him, “Why would God want any of this? After looking into hell, as you have, it can never be forgotten. It becomes a part of you. And the idea of God, of Jesus the Savior, becomes a thread of hope you cling to. All of us who know the darkness long for the light, but… There is no God!” Noah topk Helge’s hand, “God didn’t make this hole among us. God doesn’t have a plan. There is no plan at all. There’s nothing but chaos out there. Pain… and chaos!”

Helge started to panic as Noah continued to talk and start to take the screwdriver to poke it into his stomach.

Noah then held Helge, “People are bad. Malicious, evil. Life is nothing but a spiral of pain.” He pat the man’s back, “And the world is doomed to be destroyed. But this here… This is our ark and I’m Noah. If we can harness this energy, we can change everything. Then we decide the world’s fate, far removed from all the evil and from all the pain. We’ll create a time machine. That reorders everything, the beginning and the end.”

The third canister lifted in the time machine as the third event fell into place then.

In 2019, Hannah stood on the counter to grab a small box down from on top the cabinets. The kids were God knows where. Those two were, thankfully, up each other’s asses as of late. She was hard pressed to think of a time she saw one without the other close behind. It kind of sickened her to see them so wrapped up in their own little world. Like no one else in it mattered. Yet, it was nice to see her son smiling like he had before his father passed. She placed the box down on the table and removed the bag of evidence against Boris.

Magnus kissed Franziska. Before he could steal another one, she pushed him away and said, “I have to go.”

Magnus reached over to his night stand and handed Franziska her eagle necklace, “Here.”

“Where did you get this,” Franziska asked the boy.

Magnus told her, “I found it under the bridge.”

“Just because we fuck doesn’t mean you have to know everything about me,” she complained as she put on her pants.

Magnus grabbed her hand and pulled her down to meet him. He caressed her face, “I don’t want to hurt you, okay? I want to know who you are. Who you really are.”

Franziska shook her head and placed his hand down, “Not today, okay?” She stood and left.

Martha sat watching the television upset still. She grabbed her phone and tried to call Jonas.

Jonas sat in his room listening to Annalise take a shower. He played with the red knot in his hand when his phone started to ring. He tried to ignore it with tears filling his eyes. It wasn’t long before he heard Lise’s water turn off. He walked and sat with his back against the door with his eyes closed just wanting to be as close to her as he could be. He missed the happiness and the carefreeness of the previous day. He missed the world that was just he and Annalise where their phones stayed at the house where neither of them would be bothered.

“Hey,” Martha told Jonas’s voicemail, “It’s me. Call me back, for crying out loud!” She was getting frustrated. What was going on with those two? She huddled with her knees in her sweater. Then she looked towards the stairs hearing someone hurry down. When she looked, she saw the redhead. “Franziska,” she asked confused.

Franziska nodded, “Martha.” Then she turned and left.

Magnus walked in and sat next to his pale faced sister. He ignored her disgusted stare behind her tear stained face.

“Why is it that we all keep our secrets from one another,” Martha asked her brother.

Magnus sighed and grabbed the remote, “Somethings you just want to keep to yourself.” He fought so hard to not make a smarter comment at the girl about the things he knew. He already knew his sister had been crying over it, so he decided to just let her sit with the guilt. Just like how Annalise was doing.

Bang, Bang, Bang yelled the Kahnwald’s door. Hannah walked over to answer it and said, “Katharina! This is a surprise.”

Katharina stormed in, “Where is he?”

“Who,” asked Hannah.

Katharina growled, “Don’t act so stupid. Ulrich! Is he here?” She looked up the stairs.

Hannah turned around innocently and walked into the kitchen, “No. Why would he be here?”

“You lying piece of shit,” Katharina growled rushing at Hannah. She pushed her, “How long has it been going on? A month? Half a year? Or longer?” When Hannah started to stutter, Katharina mimicked her then yelled, “I don’t know where my son is! And I don’t know where my husband is! My husband! Do you understand?” Katharina tapped on the counter next to the trapped Hannah and asked, “Did you fuck here?” She then stormed to the table and shook it, “Or here?” She paced back to Hannah and asked, “Or in my house? In my bed?”

Hannah calmly told Katharina, “He isn’t here.”

Katharina stared at her, “Is it fun for you? Yeah? Does it turn you on? Destroying the lives of others? My life and my children’s lives? Did you think about that when you stuck your scrawny ass out to him?” Katharina harshly grabbed Hannah’s ass for emphasis.

Hannah just calmly walked away and played with her hands. “It’s over,” Hannah told Katharina, “It’s over.” She walked over to the sink and heard Katharina collapse in a chair at the table. Slowly Hannah slid into one of the other chairs. “I ended it,” Hannah lied, “I never wanted any of it. But… he just didn’t let up. You know how he can be. He wanted to leave you. I told him that was crazy. He said that he didn’t love you anymore. That he loves me. But I want you to know that’s it’s over now, Katharina. It’s over.”

Katharina shook her head and started to cry.

Bartosz sat in his house playing video games trying to get out all of his aggression. He noticed an old lady walking up to his house. He walked to the door and opened it, “Can I help you?”

“You must be Bartosz,” She said, “I’m Claudia, your grandmother. Is your mother home?”

“My mother told me you died before I was born,” Bartosz argued.

Claudia nodded, “I’m sure your mother told you lots of stories about me. Only some of them are true.” She walked inside and chatted with her grandson, “It looks so different than it did. There was no addition.”

Bartosz lounged back on the sofa staring at her, “Why did Mom tell me you’re dead?”

“For your mom, I’m sure I am,” Claudia admitted, “I wasn’t a particularly good mother, you know. You’re a lot like the two of them. Your eyes. Your chin. You look a lot like your parents.”

Bartosz sat up and then asked, “If you’re not dead, where were you all these years?”

Claudia sighed, “that’s a long story. Maybe I’ll tell you one day.”

“Regina won’t be home till late,” Bartosz tried to get her to explain, “Are you going to wait or…?”

Claudia shook her head, “Not today. I have to take care of something.” She reached into her pocket and handed Bartosz a note, “I want you to give her this. Will you do that for me?” Bartosz opened it and looked at a picture of his grandmother and Regina from when she was his age, “That was before. Before that summer and everything else that followed it. I made lots of mistakes back then. Believe me, if I could turn back time, I would do lots of things differently.”

Today, Hannah was called in by Aleksander to give him a massage. She did her job for him as she normally did, but then grabbed the bag and placed it on the ground in front of him, “Do you recognize this? All these years I’ve wondered why I kept it. But there’s a time for everything. Don’t worry. The contents are in safe keeping.”

“What do you want,” Aleksander asked.

Hannah asked, “Why do some people have everything and some nothing? Why do you and Regina have a beautiful home and I can’t even pay my electrical bill? Why does fate predestine a good life for some and not for others?”

“Do you want money,” he asked.

Hannah replied, “I don’t want any money. I want you to do me a favor. I want you to destroy Ulrich. I want him to lose everything. Everything.”

“How am I supposed to do that,” the man asked desperately, “What do you have in mind?”

Hannah wiped off her hands and told him, “I don’t give a damn how you do it or who you pay, just destroy him.” She took her bag, before she left she said, “Boris Niewald. Interesting name. I think it suits you much better.”

It was raining when Annalise and Jonas finally decided to go and grab some food for themselves. Annalise sighed and hummed. She had left her umbrella at the school from the play so she didn’t exactly have something prepared. Jonas looked at her and commented, “You can go grab an old jacket of mine upstairs. I’ll start getting going. Just come meet up with me. I’ll go slow. Just take the back way out of the house.”

Annalise nodded. She smiled and said, “See you soon.” She ducked back into the house and ran upstairs.

Jonas sighed and put on his hood to his raincoat and grabbed his bike. He started to walk onto the road when he was stopped by a brunette in the road. He slipped off his hood and walked up to her.

“Hello,” Martha greeted him.

Jonas stared at her, “Hello.” He stood there for a second then said, “I have to go.” He tried to walk past her.

Martha held out her arm and barked, “You have to go? Can you tell me what’s going on? I’ve been trying to reach you for days and you don’t even write back!” She panted angrily then asked, “What was that after rehearsal?” When Jonas didn’t reply, she continued, “You just make out with me. Did you think, ‘the chick’s unstable, so I’ll take what I can get?’” She stared at him expecting him to say something. When he didn’t, she shoved him yelling, “God, say something!”

Jonas stood there thanking everything that Annalise was taking her sweet time trying to find an old jacket of his to wear and to get back outside. He would have hated to see Martha’s reaction to seeing Annalise there with him. Jonas honestly didn’t know what to say to Martha though. He went with the simple answer, “It was wrong.”

“What was wrong,” Martha asked him. Her frustration grew more.

Jonas tried his hardest not to let his emotions get to him, “The thing with us. It wasn’t right.”

“Because of Bartosz,” Martha asked.

Jonas swallowed, “No, not because of Bartosz.”

“Annalise then,” Martha asked frantically.

Jonas shook his head, “No. It has nothing to do with her. Because of us. It…” This hurt him more than anything to say. He had been hoping to avoid the breaking of his own heart as well as hers for days now. He was thankful the rain was hiding his tears, “We’re just not a good match, okay?”

“We’re not a good match,” Martha asked frenziedly.

Jonas nodded annoyed that she wouldn’t just leave him alone in his misery, “Yeah. We’re not a good match. The whole thing is wrong. We’re wrong.” He tried to get past her again.

Martha stood in front of him and pressed her lips against his. When she kissed him, she could feel him kissing back. Satisfied with that, she pulled away to see Jonas still barely moving from his spot from kissing her back. “So this is wrong,” She asked when he opened his eyes.

Jonas let a small nod out. He pulled away from her and walked away, “I’m sorry.”

Annalise popped out from behind the house and hopped up to show her head over the fence, “Hey Jonas.” She smiled in one of his oversized hoodies. The hood was so huge on her.

“Hey there dummy,” Jonas greeted her, “go around. You won’t make it over that side unless you get help and I’m not doing it. Because we will both fall, get wet, and you will rip my hoodie.”

Annalise pouted, “Fine.” She ducked back down not even noticing Martha was there. She ran to the other fence and jumped it to join Jonas.

Martha could hear him ask her, “What took you so long?” Her eyes started to fill with tears seeing them together. Jonas didn’t seem happy at first, but he wasn’t unhappy either. She could tell that he cherished her. Annalise just radiated so much happiness and devotion when she was with him. There was no one else in the world when they were together. Annalise danced around him while she could see him starting to liven back up from her antics. What truly broke her though, was that those two didn’t even need to kiss. Jonas just grabbed her to have Annalise next to him. With that, Annalise slipped her arm into his and laced her fingers with his. She put her head on his shoulder as they walked. Martha started to sob.

Aleksander stared at the bag as he started to make a few calls about Ulrich. He was so scared now. About the truck and his future.

Now the machine now whirled to life as the final piece started to fall into place.

Bartosz stood outside waiting for Noah. He got into the car and told the man, “You were right. Everything you predicted has happened.” He leaned his head against the window. It looked as though he had been crying before Noah had arrived.

“Did you think about my offer,” Noah asked.

Bartosz nodded, “Yes.”

In 1953, young Tannhaus disassembled the cellphone that Ulrich had left in his house. The grayed Claudia walked in effortlessly. The man stood up and asked, “Can I help you?”

She looked around then said, “I think I have something that could interest you.” She took out plans for the time machine and spread it out, “I want you to build this for me. It’s something that will set the course of time straight.”


	10. Season 1 Final

Back on the day of Mikkel’s disappearance, Peter walked down into his father’s bunker to compose himself. He was once again thinking of cheating on Charlotte. He couldn’t do that to her. He couldn’t at all. He slapped himself as he just sat there trying to compose himself. Slowly a bright light over came the bunker. It seemed as if the fabric of reality was ripping itself apart. Then a dead Mads dropped to the ground. After trying to give the boy CPR, Peter grabbed the ID off the boy’s chest. When he saw it was Mads, he called Tronte immediately.

Tronte drove down to the bunker to find that Peter was indeed telling the truth. There on the ground lay a perfect angel-like boy dead. Tronte couldn’t believe what he was seeing. There was no way his son could be here after 33 years of having gone missing exactly as he once was. He started to cry over the small boy knowing in his heart that it was true.

The older Claudia walked down into the bunker and said, “Tronte. Peter. There’s a lot I have to explain. But first we need to take Mads to the place where he is to be found. We don’t have much time left.”

November 12, 2019, Jonas lay in his bed asleep. A small hand reached over his shoulder to make him turn to look at him. Instead of Annalise, there staring at him was Mikkel with a knowing smile.

A dream, Jonas shot up panicked. He turned his head to the side where Mikkel was to see Annalise’s back towards him. She was fully asleep. Her soft breaths mimicked almost like a sleeping cat’s content noise. He slowly uncovered himself and tucked Annalise back in. The sleeping girl turned in her sleep now to face him. She was curled up as if wanting to find comfort with anyone. She pulled the blankets up to her face in her sleep as if trying to cling to the boy that had just gotten out of bed. He brushed some stray hair out of her face then turned to grab his pill bottle. He sat there debating it before putting the pill he had taken out back in and tossing it into the trash. He panted as he looked at the supplies on his desk. He walked over to his desk and scribbled a quick note to Annalise about where he went, placed it on the nightstand for her to see right when she woke up, and left.

Martha paced around chewing on her nails not knowing really how her boyfriend was reacting to the news. She was crying. She didn’t know what to do. “I’m sorry,” the girl told Bartosz, “I really fucked up. Since Mikkel disappeared… I don’t recognize myself anymore.” She sobbed. She knew she was only going to him because Jonas and Annalise rejected her, but what else was she supposed to do in this situation. Her best friend was gone with the boy that held both of their hearts in his hands. It was so fucked up.

Bartosz stoically walked over to Martha and held her. He could feel her pain. He knew she didn’t love him, this was just all to try and have someone love her back and to go back to things before Jonas came back. The boy held her close knowing exactly how it felt to love someone who would never love him back. He pitied Martha. He too wished for everything she was, yet he could never let her know why his heart yearned for that simpler time. That it was also him that was suffering in all of this madness of teenaged love and feelings. “It doesn’t matter, okay,” he comforted her. He rubbed her back, “Everything’s okay. Everything’s okay.” He questioned to himself if he was actually comforting Martha or really more himself about this fucked up situation they all had landed in.

The nurse showed Charlotte into Helge’s room explaining that he’s never been gone this long and how normally he was back in just a couple of hours. They chatted about if Ulrich was there and the nurse explained that he was there on that Saturday, but no time since that she knew of.

Helge slept in the deer scare in 1986. He slowly woke up knowing exactly what he had to do.

In 2019, Jonas stared at his grandmother as he asked, “Did you know?”

“Did I know what,” Ines asked the boy.

Jonas replied, “The boy from the future.” When Ines sighed, he knew. He then told her, “you knew.” He nodded a bit to himself then looked back at her.

Ines walked to a small box on her selves and sat back down. She opened it and handed Jonas back the letter that he had burned. This letter looked more pristine. She commented, “This is for you.”

Jonas grabbed it and scanned through it. It was indeed the same exact letter. Just cleaner, more preserved. “That’s impossible,” the boy commented.

“What,” his grandmother asked him.

Jonas looked up at her and explained, “I burned it.” He stared down at it, then looked back up at his grandmother, “How long have you known?”

Ines looked down and shook her head, “I’ve always known, really.” Seeing Jonas just stare blankly at him, she explained, “When your father came to me, he was a disturbed little boy. I just thought he had an overactive imagination. That something bad must have happened to him, something that he couldn’t bear. He told me… he came from the future.” She started to weep, “I didn’t believe him.”

Jonas’s anger started to burn inside of him, “If you knew… Why didn’t you stop it?”

Ines shook her head at him, “I didn’t know he was going to take his own life.”

“But you could have saved Mikkel,” Jonas screamed as tears filled his eyes. He was so angry. He was angry at Ines, the world, but most of all himself for allowing all of this to continue to happen as well. “Now I have another grandma and she’s the principal of my school,” he started to angrily process through his emotions that he was hiding from himself, “Her husband, who’s fucking my mom, is looking for his son, who’s my father!” He huffed and finally growled out, “A few days ago, I kissed my aunt.” Jonas shook his head, “And the crazy thing is… there’s nothing wrong with any of them. They’re okay. I’m what’s wrong.” His tears finally started to fall.

Ines tried to comfort him, “I think things… no matter how abnormal or strange they seem to us, happen for a reason. Who are we to play God? What’s past is past. But you… live in the here and now. Who knows what the future will bring?”

Jonas looked at her and said, “I just want everything back to normal.”

This reminded Ines of Jonas’s father in 1986. Mikkel was sitting there explaining, “As a kid, all that Houdini dreamed of was becoming a magician.” He did his magic trick of moving an object from one cup to the other.

Nurse Ines, at the time, asked, “Do you have the same dream?”

“Yes,” Mikkel admitted, “But the magic I want to do is impossible.”

Ines asked, “Which is what?”

Mikkel sighed, “I just want to finally wake up.” He missed his home, his family, his Annalise. He missed Jonas. He missed everyone and his normal life. He just wanted to wake up from this living nightmare to find him cuddled up to the American girl he had come to love. With Martha snoring just a few feet from them. Annalise touching her lips and sneaking downstairs with him to go get him some candy that Katharina had stashed away from him so that he wouldn’t eat it all or eat it at inappropriate times. Magnus’s loud music abetting them in their heist of candy in the wee morning hours. Only to get caught by Ulrich… Who would then chuckle with a finger to his lips handing them both what they had sought. Mikkel just wanted that life back.

“Have you heard of Master Zhuang’s paradox,” Ines asked the boy. When Mikkel shook his head, Ines explained, “I dreamt I was a butterfly. Now I’ve woken up and no longer know if I’m a person who dreamed he’s a butterfly, or if I’m a butterfly who’s dreaming it’s a person.” Ines smiled and asked, “What are you? A person or a butterfly?”

Mikkel thought for a second then said, “Maybe I’m both.”

In 1953, they were taking Ulrich’s lineup photos. Egon introduced himself to the stange killer before him, “My name is Egon Tiedemann. Maybe we can just start with you telling me your name.”

Ulrich stared up at the man, “Tiedemann? Egon, yes… Of course.” Ulrich started to laugh. He shook his head and said in English, “My only aim is to take many lives. The more, the better I feel.”

“Are you a Satanist,” Egon asked, not breaking.

“A Satanist,” Ulrich asked. He shook his head, “No, I’m a cop.”

Egon’s eyebrow raised then lowered in humor, “a cop?”

Ulrich smiled, “It’s a song from the 80s. I can tell you now, you won’t like it.”

Egon instructed him, “Look into the camera.” When Ulrich did so, Egon asked, “Why did you kill the children?”

Ulrich shook his head, “I didn’t kill them. I tried to save them.”

“What did you do to Helge,” Egon asked.

Ulrich’s breath became uneven, “He’s still alive. He must be. Or the children wouldn’t be dead.”

“Where is Helge now,” Egon pressed Ulrich for answers, “Where is he?”

Ulrich shook his head, “I can change it all. I can change everything that’s going to happen, but you have to let me go.”

Egon commanded once more, “look into the camera.” When Ulrich tried to plead with him, Egon just repeated himself. Then asked, “You know what we do to child murdered here?”

“You stupid asshole,” Ulrich growled, “You’re just as small-minded as everyone else in this shitty town. Are you already drinking or will you start after your wife leaves you and you realize how pathetic and pitiful you are?”

Back in 2019, Jonas and Annalise finally made their way through the rain to school. Annalise removed her hand from his as they got closer and spotted Bartosz standing outside. She slowed down seeing Bartosz was upset. Her heart started to race. Oh no, Annalise thought as she saw Jonas just walking to go inside with no care.

Bartosz intersected Jonas’s route and said, “I waited for you. On Thursday.” He nodded towards Annalise letting the girl know he knew she was there.

“Yeah, fuck…” Jonas tried to cover for himself.

Bartosz shook his head, “What do you mean ‘fuck’? I didn’t tell anyone you were in the nuthouse. I lied for you. France, baguettes…Blah, blah, blah… Turns out you lie pretty well for yourself. You don’t even need me.” He motioned to Annalise then focused his attention back to Jonas, “Martha told me everything.”

Jonas shook his head, “It just happened. I really didn’t…”

“What didn’t you want,” Bartosz yelled, getting angry and shoving Jonas back. Was Jonas really going to just focus on kissing Martha? He wasn’t going to even at all think about the poor girl behind him that was now starting to try to get between them? Bartosz’s heart shattered on the pavement seeing Annalise trying to get into the middle of them to protect Jonas. He yelled, “To blow me off? To lie to me? To make out with my girlfriend? To lie to her best friend?” He shoved Jonas completely down this time, “You’re a sick piece of shit!”

Annalise, at this point, stood between him and Jonas. “Bartosz,” she yelled at him, “He fucked up, but leave him alone.”

Bartosz just pushed her out of the way into a wall to make sure she was safe from the two of them fighting, “He’s just like his dad Anna.”

Jonas couldn’t let the boy just insult his father like that. He stood and tried to tackle Bartosz only causing Bartosz to toss him back to the ground and start to wrestle him trying to make Jonas stop fighting back.

Annalise kept trying to yell at them to stop causing enough noise for Martha to come out of the school and yell at them as well, “What are you doing?!”

Jonas got up and pushed Bartosz down. He backed up closer to Annalise trying to keep himself out of this as much as possible now.

“Have you lost it,” Martha yelled.

Annalise yelled at Martha, “Tell your damned guard dog to back the fuck down.”

Martha looked at her shocked that Annalise suddenly had a fight in her and the first thing she had said to her ex best friend was a slew of curses and insults. Bartosz turned to Annalise, “Oh yeah! Of course! He lied to you too! Don’t you see that?!” He started to go up to the girl again. His heart pounding from trying to fight Jonas, “You know who really fucking found you drunk off your ass?!”

Annalise started to cry. She could smell his familiar cologne. He didn’t need to tell her, She knew he was going to yell it at her anyway though. She backed up towards the wall. Annalise shook her head. She whispered, “Bartosz, please.”

“Yeah! Me,” He yelled at her, “When will you get it through your thick head that he doesn’t give a shit about you?!” He poked at her head hard.

Jonas and Martha’s eyes widened. They started to slowly realize there was more to this that the two of them had kept as well. Everyone had secrets in this town. Martha started to slowly try to intervene. She gently walked up to Annalise and asked, “You got drunk?” Martha’s eyes started to release tears as well.

Annalise nodded, turned to Bartosz, and yelled, “But he kissed me! I was just trying to go home. I hated Winden and everyone in this shithole!” She tried to push the taller boy away from her.

Bartosz sneered and pushed her towards Jonas, “Well you didn’t try to fucking stop me. You made out with me!” He pushed her away from the wall knowing she wanted to be free. Even while angry and fighting, he was still looking out for the girl’s wants.

Jonas looked at Annalise. Suddenly this made a lot more sense. She must have not remembered who it was just some of the general events that happened. Annalise must have thought that he had kissed her that night and that’s why she had forgiven him so quickly. She thought… Jonas snapped himself away from his thoughts. He started to get in between Martha and Annalise trying to keep the other girl away from the one looking terrified.

“You kissed my boyfriend,” Martha roared, trying to rage at the girl only to get intervened by Jonas.

Annalise sobbed, “I was drunk. I forgot who it was.” She looked down. She started to let her anger take back over, “But you cheated on him first anyway! Why do you give a shit?! You are just like your bastard murderous father!” Bartosz started to get in between the two girls as well, but he kept Annalise from getting closer towards Martha and Jonas. Bartosz actually lifted the girl up and placed her down a bit farther away again to put distance between them.

She tried to fight against Jonas to get to Annalise. “At least, I’m not the reason my father’s fucking dead,” Martha yelled at the girl.

Everything stopped. Everyone froze and looked at Annalise. It even seemed like for a moment that the rain itself had stopped. Martha clasped her hands over her mouth knowing she had gone too far. Her hands shook in front of her mouth. Annalise started to tremble. Her face contorted more into agony. The former track star turned and bolted into the forest again. The rain wasn’t helping her stay out of her thoughts. Her mind just kept flashing to the memories and she just wanted everything to stop.

“Annalise,” the three yelled after her. Everyone suddenly unfrozen at the same time. Bartosz tried to grab her, but she was too quick for his reflexes. Everything was also too wet so even if he could grab on, she could have slipped away from him anyway.

Bartosz watched her go. His breathing unsteady. He turned to Jonas and roared, “This is all your fucking fault!” He punched Jonas this time, “Don’t ever come back here. Get the hell out of here!”

Jonas stood there for a second looking at Martha who was sobbing. He touched his lip to feel the warm blood drip onto his fingertips and down his chin. He turned and started to walk away hoping that Annalise was just going to run home or just hide out in the woods again until she was ready. He knew he wasn’t going to catch up and if anything all he could do was to go back. He needed to go back, get Mikkel, and bring him back. Bartosz was right, this was all his fault so now he needed to fix it.

Bartosz watched Jonas walk away calmly and growled. Bartosz turned and took off after Annalise trying hard to try and get to her before anyone else did. Somewhere in his heart, he knew this was his fault too. If he were just honest himself, she wouldn’t have had to have her heart dropped on the cement and crushed like that in front of all of them. She could have just been in his arms, safe and sound. “Annalise,” He screamed trying to have her hear him. He panted and called, “Annalise, please! Come back! Martha didn’t mean it!” Annalise could have just been in his arms, huddled up in his jacket, with her giant radiate smile on her face instead of running through the trees and woods, alone, scared, and crying.

The door to the 1986 Tannhaus shop opened and closed. There stood the older Jonas. He knew he didn’t have that much time left to try to get to the girl before any of the other options did. He knew that if she were with him, she would be safe and maybe actually prevent her fate that he accidentally had caused again. He kicked himself for being so weak to her doe eye charms and buying her alcohol that night. The Stranger Jonas had tried to keep a hold of her, but she slipped away from him and disappeared before he could catch her again. He shook his head at that memory and walked over to the man. He looked at the machine and commented, “You repaired it.”

Tannhaus looked up at the man and pointed to one of them, “That one’s yours.” He pointed at the one in front of himself and said, “And this one’s mine. I built it many years ago. It’s the same device, but in different condition. You see. It’s as if one could look at the beginning and end of something at the same time. Wait a moment.” Tannhaus squeezed past him to go grab the cellphone he had been holding onto. “This thing here,” Tannhaus explained, “it sends a kind of signal. An electromagnetic impulse. As if it were trying to communicate with something. And look at this.” Tannhaus turned on his machine to demonstrate, “this part has never moved. It was included in the blueprint, but I never knew what it was for. This thing communicates with the device. It’s not just the past that influences the future. The future also influences the past. You see. If you hadn’t shown me what the device looks like in the future, I wouldn’t have been able to build it. A paradox. These openings… didn’t exist either. I have no idea what their purpose is.”

Jonas opened up a small vial and put in a small tube into the machine, “It’s Cs-137. A radioactive isotope of Cesium.” Then started to pack it up so that way he could then use it to get back to try and get her. He knew where she was hiding so that gave him a bit of edge, but that also gave someone else the edge as well. He needed to protect her from her fate. All would be for nothing if he couldn’t stop this at least.

Tannhaus looked up, “The device generates a Higgs field. It increases the mass of the Cesium. An electromagnetic impulse causes it to implode into a black hole. The same thing must have happened during the nuclear power plant incident.”

Jonas looked up and asked, “Why did you decide to help me after all?”

“Why,” Tannhaus repeated back at Jonas, “That’s a big word.” The man sat back down in his chair to continue his work, “Why do we decide for one thing and against another?” Tannhaus continued not seeing Jonas nearly crying over that set of words, “But does it matter whether the decision is based upon the consequence of a series of casual links? Or whether it stems from an undefined feeling deep inside me? That perhaps everything in my life boils down to this one moment. That I’m part of a puzzle. One that I can neither understand nor influence. Will you tell me… what the future’s like?”

Jonas stared at the man and explained, “I’m hoping that by tomorrow, it’ll already be different from today.” He turned and walked out the door leaving Tannhaus there.

In 2019, Charlotte called Peter. When he answered, she asked, “Your father was kidnapped as a kid, right? Do you remember when exactly?”

Peter blanked. He wondered if he even knew that information to begin with. He asked her, “Can we talk? I…I have to tell you something.”

Charlotte then asked, “When exactly? ‘53? ‘54?”

Peter shook his head, “Fall of ‘53.”

Charlotte nodded to herself, “1953, exactly 66 years ago. Two times 33. It’s all connected.”

Peter tried to interrupt, “Listen, Charlotte, I… I have to talk to you.”

Charlotte put on her seatbelt, “Later, okay? I’ve got to go.” Charlotte then hung up.

In 1986, the middle aged Helge drove up to his cabin. When he walked up, he saw an old man sitting there. “Can I help you,” he asked, “Were you looking for me?”

The older Helge looked at his younger self. “You have to stop,” he said.

“What do I have to stop,” asked Helge.

The older and wiser Helge replied, “He’s using you. All of his promises are lies. You will never meet David again.”

The younger Helge shook his head, “I think you’re mistaking me for someone else.”

The older one repeated the phrase back at him while taking off his beanie to reveal his scar, “I’ve said that before.” He laughed and shook his head, “Everything Noah says is a lie. He’s not the chosen one. You’re not the chosen one. He doesn’t want to save the world from evil. He is evil. He probably killed David when David didn’t want to go through with this.” The older Helge held his younger self, “Today is the day. The beginning and the end. Don’t make the same mistakes I made. Don’t make the same mistakes I did.”

The younger Helge pulled away and ran while the older one called after him begging for him to stop. He then realized what he had to do. The old Helge walked away.

2019, Jonas walked into his dad’s studio. He looked around first for Annalise. She was still not home yet. Jonas looked up at the support beam contemplating for a moment before walking downstairs one more.

Hannah looked up at her son and saw his wound. Worried she asked, “What happened to you?” She was surprised that Annalise wasn’t with him. Normally if they skipped school, the two would be together as if held by glue. Hannah stood up and rushed to Jonas.

“I got into a fight,” Jonas explained.

Hannah’s face scrunched, “what?” Her son had never done this before in his life. This was so unlike her Jonas. “With whom,” She asked, caressing his face. Part of her wandered if that’s why Annalise wasn’t with him.

Jonas stared at her, “It doesn’t matter.”

Hannah took her hand away and asked, “What do you mean, it doesn’t matter?”

Jonas walked over to her and held his mother. He closed his eyes as his arms wrapped around her. He tried to imagine him hugging all of the people he cared about in his arms at that moment. Bartosz, Martha, Mikkel, Annalise… They all deserved to hear this. He whispered to his mother, “Everything will be fine.” He soon pulled away and said, “I left something at school and I still need to find Annalise. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine, Mom.” He forced a small smile before leaving Hannah standing there confused and worried.

Down in the bunker, Peter and Tronte talked. They spoke of Claudia and if they believed her. They could feel everything was going to start happening very soon. Peter was worried because half of the book's pages were missing. He wondered if Claudia was hiding this from them.

In 1986, Helge confronted Noah about what happened. Noah calmly told Helge a story, “Years ago, I was still a little boy. A stranger came to us. He looked as if he’s been in a war. Didn’t talk much. There was this sadness in his eyes. The kind you see sometimes in those who want to die, but life wouldn’t let him.” At this same time, Jonas crossed the police line to go to the cavern that would lead to 1986. Noah continued, “He took a room in our house. The bedroom right next to mine. And… Sometimes I heard him talk in his sleep. Confused words. But one night, he was suddenly very clear. He stood in the hallway, his eyes wide open and said, ‘Nothing is in vain. Not a single breath. Not a single step, not a single word. Not pain. An eternal miracle of the One.’ I didn’t understand any of his words. Only years later, when I felt the pain, did I understand what he meant. That none of the horrible things that befall us should be in vain. That they make us what we are. That they give us our strength. Your pain made you who you are, Helge. But it no longer has power over you.”

Helge nodded in understanding then asked, “Who is next?”

Noah opened his book and instructed Helge on to where to find their next target, Jonas Kahnwald.

Jonas walked out the tunnel and started to walk to the hospital. His plan was simple. Grab Mikkel, set time on the correct path, done.

The social worker turned to Ines and comforted her, “He’ll be fine. Don’t worry. You can always come and visit him.” She turned to Mikkel and said, “I’m taking you to your new home. There are lots of other children there.”

Mikkel didn’t respond and Ines walked her out. Ines looked at the social worker and said, “You know, I’ve made the decision. I want to adopt him and to take provisional custody of him during the adoption procedure... ”

“I’m afraid it’s not that easy,” the worker tried to argue.

Ines shook her head, “I have references. I own a home. I know it may seem rash, but it’s not. The boy likes me. He trusts me. I’m the only person he lets close to him, and… And I like him too.”

Charlotte sat in the forest with her dead bird investigating it. A strange boy in a yellow coat approached and asked what day it was. “The 12th,” She shook her head. When he asked for the year, Charlotte looked at him more confused, “1986.” He then just paced forward as if on a mission. She turned and asked, “Are you from here?” The boy turned and shook his head. Charlotte then asked, “What are you doing here?”

Jonas answered, “Bringing someone back from the dead.”

“How does that work,” she asked him curious.

Jonas sighed, “It’s hard to explain.” He smiled.

Charlotte looked down at the birds, “Can you bring these back?”

Jonas shook his head, “No, you have to find them when they're younger.”

Charlotte looked up at him and said, “But then they’re not dead yet.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that they will die,” he explained.

She looked down at the birds then back at him, “You’re crazy.”

Jonas slightly smiled before turning away to get back to his original plan, “Maybe.”

In 2019, Charlotte was investigating Helge. There on page five in the records, she saw Ulrich staring straight at her.

Ulrich, still stuck in 1953, was having a rough time while in prison. They kept asking him about Helge and beating him when he wouldn’t tell them.

Our yellow coat wearing Jonas, in 1986, roamed through the halls of the hospital trying to get to Mikkel’s room.

Annalise, in 2019, curled up in the church. Something she had learned from her grandfather that was a pretty safe place not to be found. She tried to think back to how he told her to get to a special hiding place. She slowly followed his instructions to find a burnt to a crisp office. The girl could feel it’s raw energy and safety. She curled up in the corner and kept herself there. Annalise shivered from the cold. She spotted a fireplace. She looked around trying to find something to light it.

When Jonas finally got to Mikkel’s room, there sat Noah reading to the boy. Mikkel was fast asleep. Noah looked up at him. “Who are you,” Jonas asked. Noah held a finger up to his mouth and shushed him before Helge popped out from behind the door and started to smother him with a cloth covered in chloroform.

Jonas slowly woke up in a blue room with foxes and hedgehogs. There was a large chair in the middle of the room. He heard a noise from outside the door and the slot opened. A familiar face looked through and tried to comfort him, “There’s no need to be afraid.”

“Hey,” Jonas cried at him. He slammed himself against the door, “What’s this supposed to be? What is this? Why did you lock me in here?”

The older Jonas looked at his younger self, “It wasn’t me. It was Noah.”

“Who’s Noah,” our Jonas asked, “Where am I? What is this?”

The older Jonas explained, “This is a kind of prototype of a time machine. You’re the guinea pig. The passage in the cave lies directly under this bunker. If opened, the energy flows through this room. But it needs to be increased. No DeLorean. No hissing or steam. The first time machine is a bunker with four walls. But it still doesn’t quite work.”

“Let me out,” Jonas plead.

The Stranger Jonas shook his head, “I can’t. It’s the only way for things to be normal again.”

Jonas asked, “Who are you?”

“You don’t know,” he asked. He started at him, “The letter, you burned it. Yet it still exists. You’ll carry that letter for almost 33 years before you pass it on. To yourself.”

The younger Jonas started to cry realizing that he was indeed bigger in this than he could have ever imagined at first. He started to understand that there was no easy fix for his life.

“I am you,” The Stranger Jonas told his younger self, “My name is Jonas Kahnwald. I sent the letter to you. Or should I say, to me. Everything you’re experiencing, I’ve already experienced.” He backed away from the door and from his younger self starting to break down, “I burned the letter, just like you. I got it back from our grandmother. I’ve already had this conversation. But I was on the other side then. We think we’re free, but we’re not. We follow the same old path. Again and Again.”

The younger Jonas slammed against the door, “That’s crazy! It doesn’t make any sense! You can decide to let me go now. Come on, let me out!”

The older self stared at him. His heart broke again watching himself throw himself against the wall, “I thought it was crazy for a long time. That I’m crazy. But I can’t let you out because then you won’t become what I am today. If I now change my past, I will change who I am right now. And I won’t be able to destroy the hole once and for all.” He stared at his younger self, “Why did you kiss Martha? Why didn’t you run after Annalise? We are not free in what we do, because we are not free in what we want. We can’t overcome what’s deep within us.”

Our Jonas sobbed, “Stop it.” He hated being faced with this. He knew in his heart that it was true. That all of what the older him was saying had to be true, “Stop.” He thought of the two girls in agony. “Please stop,” he begged, “I have to bring Mikkel back.” The older Jonas sighed at his younger self’s ignorance. But the younger continued, “I want everything to go back to normal. I want all this sick shit to stop!”

“You still do,” The Stranger Jonas tried to comfort himself, “33 years later. I still want that. But Mikkel… Our father is just a small part of the sprawling sickness. I’ve seen things that n one should ever see. I’m sorry.” He closed the slot and left.

The younger Jonas started to panic again.

Helge drove through the dark and rainy night back home only to be hit by a car. The younger Helge exited his vehicle having magically survived. He limped to the other car to see the dead limp body of his older self sitting there.

Charlotte was in her office in 2019 right on the cusp of everything. She looked down at the phone to see that her husband had texted her talking about meeting him in the bunker.

Noah sat in his car. “Everything is about to begin,” He told Bartosz, “The older Jonas will destroy the hole, but… he doesn’t realize that he will be the one to trigger its existence. A paradox. The cesium in his useless machine won’t destroy the hole forever. It’s what creates it in the first place. He thinks he’s the savior.” He turned to the boy once more, “But Claudia lied to him. Most people are nothing but pawns on a chessboard. Led by an unknown hand. Their lives exist only to be sacrificed for a higher goal. Jonas, Mikkel, the children, they’re nothing but unfortunate yet necessary chess moves in an eternal war between good and evil. There are two groups out there fighting over control of time travel. Light and Shadow. We belong to the light. Don’t forget that.” Bartosz shrunk in his seat as Noah explained, “Even though some of what we do is of a dark nature. But no victory is ever won without sacrifice. As long as we’re in this time loop we who know have to make sure that every step is repeated exactly as it was before. No matter how inhumane it seems to us. No matter what sacrifices it demands of us. But believe me, the others are the ones who are truly inhumane. They have lost all humanity. They belong to the shadow. Your grandmother, Claudia, belongs to the shadow. Never trust her. No matter what she says. Jonas trusted her before and he will trust her again. Jonas thinks he will change everything… but he’s just her puppet. He doesn’t deserve any better.” Noah chuckled looking down at his book and handing it to Bartosz. “Time is an infinite field. Millions and millions of interlocking wheels. We have to be patient to be victorious. But our time will come. We will free humanity from its immaturity. From its pain. But you must be strong. Can you do that?”

Bartosz looked out the window knowing exactly what he wanted, “Yes.”

Noah checked his watch. “It’s time.”

The older Jonas crawled through the tunnels with his time machine under his arm. He sat inside and activated the machine. He looked next to him to see his father covered in the black goop next to him.

Mikkel smiled at his new home and Ines lifted him up to bring her new son inside of his house. The boy clinged onto his new mother. Charlotte walked down into the bunker to be greeted by her husband. While Katharina stared at her phone and tried to call her husband not knowing it was all in vain because he was getting beat up in a prison 66 years away from home. The middle aged Tannhaus and Claudia just starting to work on their new knowledge of time travel. Both sets of the Doppler families held onto each other as they felt Winden start to shake. Hannah stared at the gun on her table as Doris and Agnes shared a glass of whiskey. Tronte and Janna held onto each other. Magnus and Franziska sat up from the movie they were watching while cuddled on the couch together seeing an old 1986 candy commercial. Aleksander and Regina hopped out of their car to look at the giant black dome starting to encase the forest. Hannah lifted the gun and pointed it towards the wall as the older Nielsen couple held onto each other. The older Claudia held out her hands and felt the snow start to fall once more.

Helge and Jonas both felt the shaking. Then a bright light over took both of them. There in the middle of the room, almost like a mirror looking in to see the other one in a different place in time. Slowly they approached and touched fingers suddenly changing positions. Now Helge was in the blue room and Jonas was in the dark bunker. But something seemed off. This didn’t look to be the same from where Helge left. He stared at the pictures on the wall all linked together. He then ran out of the bunker to investigate.

It was snowing. He looked around and saw all the destruction. There before him was the aftermath of the Apocalypse. It wasn’t long before he ran into a band of people on a military styled truck. They called to him to put his hands up, which Jonas quickly complied scared of what was going to happen. He then was forced onto the ground. He started to ask questions wondering what was going on. Then a drone flew overhead. When he looked back to the girl with a scar, she simply told him, “Welcome to the future.” Then hit him with the butt of her rifle.

Annalise felt the ground shake. She curled up in her corner until she heard a strange noise. She looked up as a shining light illuminated her and the old room. She started to shake, “Jonas?” Whenever she asked she seemed to calm. Then slowly her face changed from one of confusion and terror to one of overwhelming joy and fondness. As if she was seeing a long lost friend, she started to cry happily, “Oh, Adam. You’re finally here.” She reached towards the light only to be sucked in. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was the "Season Finale" of this part of Yesterday Once More. I will be taking a small week break to just recoup my writing spirit. In the meantime, comment here with any questions you have and if you would like me to go over any foreshadowing you might have missed and such during this season and I will release that as the next chapter while all of you wait for me to start my work on the "season two" of Yesterday Once More! See all of you soon and in the comment section! 
> 
> OH! Also please label what questions/theories you want me to address in the next chapter and which ones require immediate respondents! Thank you and I hope to see all of you soon!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I am back with an all new chapter! If you want to catch up on any references and things you might have missed in Chapters 1-10, come check it out [here!](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Frpc3NMx6m92OQ0lj_Zb37m-EqjlDTKoyAGxmgFGC0Y/edit?usp=sharing) Anyway, Happy reading~!!

Jonas and Annalise both shot up awake at the same time in different times both having a dream about the moment that was supposed to be the happiest moment of their lives that was actually just the moments that would cause the disasters that would destroy Winden. One of the two in 2053 and the other teen in 2020. Their movements mimicked each other as the two turned to get out of his bed and pull out a letter. His addressed to him to open when his father died. Hers addressed to open now. They both sighed and walked down the stairs into the main areas of the empty Kahnwald house. Annalise’s stairs were silent to cause Jonas’s stairs to creak twice as loud. As if they were both ghosts in this once happy and lively home. They both took a moment to look at the calendar in the kitchen and walked out to walk amongst the living.

Joans walked around his old town gathering supplies before going back down into the bunker to start his work back up. He found the appropriate tape for that day and placed it into the player to listen to it.

A woman’s voice rang out, “My name is Claudia Tiedemann. I am one of the few survivors of the apocalypse of June 27, 2020. Almost three months have passed since the catastrophe. It’s still unclear what exactly led to the events in Winden. But the God Particle… If we can stabilize it, maybe it is a way back. Back to the past. Maybe we can save them. All of them.”

Annalise walked down the roads. She walked down to the store to grab something to eat before heading her way back into the woods not too far from the Kahnwald’s or Tiedemann’s. She laid down on her and Jonas’s rock looking up at the leaves above her. She quietly wondered if any of them were the same from that day as she quietly hummed the old song she would sing to Jonas and Mikkel.

The radio on throughout Winden called, “Wake up, late risers! It’s the first week of summer vacation and it is perfect beach weather.” Across Hannah’s walls were newspaper articles about her son and the rest of the missing people. Several of them with pictures of Annalise as well. “Local News. Over six months after the mysterious disappearance of five teenagers, a senior citizen and a local police officer from the town of Winden, despite one of them being found, there are still no clues as to their whereabouts or the circumstances. A federal police task force will now assist with the investigation.”

Hannah marked off the date on the calendar and looked at the old christmas photo of her small little family. Her tear stained face reeking of how she felt on the inside.

“How do you feel today,” The doctor asked Regina, unaware of Bartosz spying on the conversation, “Still having joint trouble? Nausea? To be honest, your lab results worry me. We should treat you in the hospital again.”

Regina shook her head, “No. Absolutely not. I want to stay here.”

“Fine,” The doctor nodded, “We’ll wait for the next MRI results. We may have to switch from hormone treatment back to chemo.”

Bartosz looked down at his phone to see a text from his girlfriend asking him to go to the bridge.

Clausen stood on top of the podium to give his speech. He was the new head of the Winden task force. Today he was taking over the missing persons cases. He was ready to reopen all the cases and review everything about them until he could solve it. He informed that some people had received summons for renewed interrogation in regards to the cases. He also made a statement that they were going to start trying to push more answers from Annalise as well.

This received some backlash from many of the people in the town annoyed that not only would they send only one person to help, but the government decided to keep Charlotte on the case as well.

Magnus looked at Franziska as they sat next to the lake, “Does your mom talk at home? About the investigation, I mean.”

“Not to us,” she replied.

Magnus shook his head, “We sit around and wait. And nothing happens. We know as little as we did eight months ago. Sometimes I think it’d be better if they were dead.”

Franziska rubbed the boy’s shoulder, “Don’t say that.” Slowly, the two teen’s lips met for a passionate kiss. It wasn’t long before that got interrupted by a text tone for the girl. She looked back at Magnus and told him, “I have to go.” She stood up to walk away.

“Where to,” Magnus asked.

“To pick up Elisabeth at a friend’s,” Franziska told him, “I’ll call you later, okay?”

Sensing that Franziska was lying, he waited a moment before following her.

Katharina walked through the woods. Her backpack ready with a map and flashlight. She knew the caves had something to do with all of this even though the police swore with Annalise that this wasn’t the care. Annalise had made a comment that she simply had run away due to stress and came back. She also claimed that Jonas would be back soon, though they went their separate ways so she had no idea where he was presently. Yet it’s been a full month and he still wasn’t back. Katharina prepared herself for her cave journey before walking inside.

Jonas trekked up to the power plant’s broken gate. He walked over to the wall to look at the sign, then made his way to the church. He passed the graves of many of the past residents of Winden there. He knelt down to place the picture of his family on his father’s grave then turned to look at Martha’s.

Martha rode her bike down to the bridge. She parked her bike and hiked down to see Bartosz already sitting there waiting for her. She sat down near him and looked at him.

“I’ve been trying to reach you for days,” Bartosz commented.

Martha shook her head, “A lot was going on.” She watched as he turned away from her and she tried to say, “I wanted to talk to you. I’ve wanted to for a long time.”

“Save your breath,” Bartosz told her without even looking at her. He sighed and looked over to the girl, “It’s probably better that way.” Martha huffed and looked away from the boy causing him to turn, “So… that’s it then.” Martha slightly nodded, then looked down. Bartosz’s anger erupted, “Because of him? Because of Jonas?!”

“What?!” Martha growled back at him. She tried to fight back tears, “What’s that got to do with it? We hardly ever see each other. I don’t know… You’ve changed! I… What about her then? Annalise? She’s back for a month and you're willing to just throw it all away for her?” Martha shook her head and turned back to him, “I feel like you’re hiding something. I don’t know what’s up with you!”

Bartosz argued, “What’s up with me? What the fuck? My mom is dying! And… there’s stuff I can’t tell you.”

“Why not,” Martha accused.

Bartosz swallowed hard, “I just can’t. Okay? If you knew the crap I’m going through...”

Martha’s anger spewed out, “The crap you’re going through?! In case you forgot, my father and brother disappeared. My ex best friend is the only lead, she is lying to everyone, and won’t speak to any of us because of some stupid thing I said that she is claiming made her disappear for seven months! My mom is crazy and couldn’t care less about me! And you want to tell me about your crap?!” She quickly turned away as Bartosz shrunk down. She panted angrily, ran her fingers through her hair then repeated, “It’s better this way.” She stood up and stormed away.

Bartosz sat there wringing his hands anxiously. He watched her go before receiving a text telling him simply, ‘This evening.’

Aleksander stood in front of all his employees and gave a somber speech. He thanked them all for their loyalty and explained that the plant would be decommissioned in six days. After the speech, he followed his nuclear engineer. They put on their yellow hazard suit and walked inside.

The engineer explained, “Everything has been prepared for transport as planned.”

Aleksander asked, “And the demolition plans?”

“Everything at the ground level will be left and become part of the greenfield,” the other man explained, “The radiation of the barrels will be traced to the pool’s previous use.”

Hannah placed down the box with Aleksander’s once gun and passport inside. She took out the pistol and pointed it under her chin when she was interrupted by a set of keys opening the door. She quickly hid the gun and stood up to look to who that could have been. “Hello,” she called out. When she saw a bearded hooded man walk in, she asked him, “Who are you? What do you want? Why do you have a key?”

“It’s my key,” Stranger Jonas told his concerned mother. He slowly took off his hood so that she could get a better look at him.

Hannah, still not understanding, asked, “What do you mean, it’s yours?”

Jonas tried to calm his mother, “I know it sounds like it makes no sense, but hear me out.” He placed his bag down and walked towards her, “Do you remember the yellow bike? The bike you and dad gave me on my eighth birthday. I rode it into the ditch the very first day. I gashed my arm open. Here.” He rolled up his sleeves so that she could see his scar.

Hannah panted. She couldn’t believe someone could play such a cruel trick on her. “Get out,” she commanded.

Jonas looked down trying to find what else he could do to convince her. “Here,” he tried again, “Dad was making pancakes here. He dropped the pan and spilled the hot oil here.” He motioned down to the stain on the wood then said, “I vanished from your life six months ago. You found me over 33 years ago. I knew it was you right away. It was raining, remember? Grandpa and you wanted to take me along in the car. You said it was still acid rain because of Chernobyl. I was wearing my yellow coat.” He took a step closer to her, “Momma. It’s me.” He held his hand out to her.

Hannah sobbed realizing he was telling her the truth. She put her hand on his arm and looked up at him, “Jonas?” She gently touched his beard in disbelief that her son would grow one, “But that’s impossible.” She cupped his face as she cried. She moved his hair away and watched him relax at her touch. She pulled him into a hug.

Franziska walked to her drop spot for Bernette and put the information in before leaving to go get Elisabeth. Katharina squatted down in the cave and marked more places on her map before continuing forward.

In 1921, Noah comforted his younger self from killing the older man. He told the boy that everything would be revealed in due time and that some things needed to stay hidden away for then so that later they could come into the light.

“How do we know what’s right and what’s wrong,” the younger boy asked through gritted teeth and tears, “What is good and what is evil?”

Noah replied, “By heeding our inner voice. By not following anyone else but ourselves. Our true nature reveals itself not only in our deeds but also in their purpose. I am you. I am your voice. Never forget that. Everything is connected. You. Me. The past. And the future.”

In 2053, Jonas walked through the forest of hanging bodies. Soon he heard gunshots and a man shouting. Jonas looked and ran towards the yelling. There was a crowd standing there at the execution. Nuclear gear carelessly tossed to the side as the man yelled. “Who are you,” he yelled, “You are hiding it! There, behind the wall! We saw it! We followed the signal. Till the dead zone. You’re hiding God! You mustn’t hide God. He’s not yours alone!”

Elisabeth nodded her head at the team. They pulled tightening the rope around his neck as he plead. She slowly turned away and looked into the small crowd. She signed and her translator Silja spoke, “No one can enter the dead zone. Any attempt will be punished by death. Those are the rules. We are the future! Sic mundus creatus est.”

The crowd repeated, “Sic mundus creatus est.” Then they departed leaving Jonas alone with Elisabeth and Silja.

“Where were you,” they questioned the boy, “There’s nothing out there. The passage is our only hope. The faithless are dead. The prophecy will come true, the passage will open and we will be led into paradise.”

“The faithless are dead,” Jonas asked back, “Everyone is dead, my family, my friends. Everyone dies in six days, in my time! I don’t need your damn paradise! I just want to go home!” He looked at Elisabeth, “What did they want behind the wall?”

Silja signed to Elisabeth what Jonas had said and awaited for her response.

Jonas, however, did not have the time to wait, so he turned and left.

In 2020, Elisabeth looked up at her father, “Why did mom keep all of Great Granddad’s things? He’s been dead for years.”

Peter signed back, “I think because it’s the only thing that reminds her of her family. Some things are hard to let go of.”

“It’s a shame I never met Grandpa and Grandma,” Elisabeth told her dad, “Does Mom remember them?”

Peter explained, “Your mother was still little when they died. Come on.” Peter walked more into the shop to look. He turned to see Elisabeth had pulled out a picture of her mother and great grandfather from 1986. Peter chuckled.

Annalise looked at the time. She bit her lip and started to sneak back towards the Kahnwald house only to be given pause by Bartosz. He spotted her and walked over to her. He stood in front of the girl and said, “Hey.”

“Hey,” She commented back trying to look past him. She then turned to him and gave a small smile, “Is there something I can do for you?”

Bartosz stared at her. Frustration rose in him, “I wish you would just stop fucking lying. Could you do that?”

Annalise started to walk past him, “Honestly, Bartosz. I really don’t know what you mean. I’ve told everyone the truth. Jonas and I ran away after the fight. We found a cheap cabin right outside of a different town not too far from here that we rented while we tried to find a permanent place. We got separated about a month ago. I came back after a week of waiting for him like we planned. He will be back soon. I don-”

WHACK! Bartosz’s fist hit the tree, “Anna! We both know that’s bullshit!” He grabbed her wrist, “We both know about what’s going on here. Please talk to me. You are the only one who I can talk to. Please.”

Annalise tried to wiggle away, “Bartosz, you’re hurting me. Let go. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I know about Noah,” Bartosz growled into her ear, pulling her close to him. “I’m part of it too. Just talk to me.”

Annalise pulled away and told him, “I have no idea what you’re talking about! I told everyone what happened and honestly I’m only still here to make sure Hannah doesn’t kill herself and to wait for Jonas to get back so we can both go back home!”

“We both know that isn’t what’s happening,” Bartosz told her.

Annalise turned back to him, “You’re right Bartosz! Jonas left me and he’s never coming back! I should damn well just run off with you! Is that what you want to fucking hear?!” She had tears in her eyes. She grit her teeth as she tried to keep the tears inside. She stormed up to him, “Do you want to run away with me Bartosz?! Leave your dying mother behind and I leave behind a grieving mother on the edge of putting a gun to her head?! Is that what you want?”

Bartosz felt tears building up inside him as well. He looked down and whispered down to her while caressing her cheek, “That isn’t fair. I know you’re scared, but don’t take it out on me.”

“You don’t know the first thing about me,” She hissed and turned away as she felt the tears start to fall.

Bartosz watched her leave and whispered, “I know I love you at least.” He let his tears fall watching her knowing it would probably be best to try and give her space. She knew she could always come to him now and that he would never judge her. He watched her go not realizing that this moment could have possibly been the last he would see her again.

Martha knocked on her brother’s room door. “Mom,” she called into the empty room. She looked around. There on the floor and walls were papers, trails of what her mother was thinking. Martha sat down onto the ground and opened a box to pull out a file. There in front of her was the investigation file. That was when Martha got the thought into her head that maybe it was their turn to start snooping around.

Katharina continued searching in the caves hoping to find her answers. She had no idea if she was going to get them but she had hope that she would. She needed to find her son and husband. She needed to make things right.

“It’s remarkable people don’t crack, given the futility of their own existence,” Adam told Noah, “An endless cycle of life and death. Where is the origin of all this suffering?” He paused then asked, “Did you tell Bartosz?”

Noah turned away from the painting of The Fall of the Damned and nodded to the man.

“And he didn’t get at all suspicious,” Adam asked sitting crossed legged in a chair. He spoke to himself after seeing Noah shake his head, “He has always been naive by nature.” He took a large breath and walked up to Noah, “The apocalypse has to happen. Are you having doubts?” He watched Noah shake his head then asked, “What do you do with an old forest so new trees can grow?”

Noah replied, “You burn it down.”

“There isn’t much time left,” Adam told the man. “The missing pages… you must find them.”

Noah nodded before being interrupted by an older Franziska, “Adam? They’re waiting for you.”

Adam turned back to Noah and said, “Six more days.” He turned and walked out.

In 2020, Magnus turned hearing a rustle near him. He looked to see Bernette going to the drop site and replacing an envelope with another one. She looked around not noticing the boy and walked back to her trailer. Magnus trailed after her. He opened the door and walked in.

“I’m on my break,” Bernette told the person who walked in. When she turned, she was surprised to see a young man there, who looked just as surprised himself. She strolled over to him, “Oh, well… Blow job 40 euros, anal 85. Kinky stuff costs extra, but I need to eat first.” She opened up a ramen cup. Then turned to the young man, “Well, get undressed.”

Magnus panicked. He took a few breaths in before dashing back out of the trailer.

Bernette, confused, walked towards her window and watched as Magnus rushed home.

“You can say I exist infinitely,” Jonas explained to his mother as the sun slowly made its way down to sleep and Annalise climbed her way up the side of the house to sneak into Jonas’s room once more, “I’m here now. And I’m in every second between my birth and my death. I’m always Jonas. I’m the same. And yet not the same.” Hannah looked at the older version of her son as he continued, “Like you’re not the same person who came through that door an hour ago.”

Hannah asked him, “But where is Jonas? Where is my Jonas?”

The Stranger Jonas sighed, “He’s in the future.”

“In the future,” Hannah repeated back as a question.

The older version of her son nodded, “Yeah. He can’t come back. I tried to destroy the passage, but I only closed it. That’s why he’s still there.”

Hannah shook her head and sighed, “Why are you here?”

Annalise walked down the stairs right at that moment causing both of them to stare at her for a moment before resuming the conversation. He said, “To put an end to it all. Once and for all.”

Annalise smiled gently and asked, “Ada- Jonas?” She gently shepherded him up from his chair, “It’s really you.” She collapsed in his arms. She pulled him close to her and took in a deep breath to inhale all of him. Her fingers curled into his back pulling his shirt into her fists. She buried her face in him trying not to let him go. As if she were to let him go that he would be lost to time once again.

He smiled tenderly down at her. His beloved so close to him made him feel truly home. He pet her head gently. He placed a soft kiss against the top of her head as he whispered, “I am Lise. It’s so good to see you again.” He held her close treasuring this moment. It was near ecstasy for her to be so close to him again after so long.

She slowly pulled away and placed a warm kiss against his cheek. “You should get to bed,” Annalise scolded him, “Take a shower then head to bed. You sorely need it.” I can tell just how weary you are.”

Jonas nodded with his eyes half lidded looking at her, “Alright.” He dreamily smiled before going upstairs to do just as he was told.

Elisabeth tried to keep herself occupied as her father went through the boxes. She used this time to start trying to look through books. While looking through one, she found a picture. Surprised she brought it to her father and pointed out the man saying, “That’s him! That’s that man.”

“Which man,” Peter asked his daughter.

Elisabeth explained, “The man with the watch. That’s Noah!”

“Noah,” Peter asked his daughter. He looked down at the picture and stared. There staring back at him was just as his daughter had described before and he knew that it was true. There was Noah.

Back at Sic Mundus, Noah stared at a trifold of pictures of everyone important in the loop. The Doppler’s, the Kahnwalds, the Nielsen’s, the Tiedemann’s, and David and Annalise Dahlhiem. He turned and walked away with his briefcase off to do more of his work.

“Watch out for the tiniest deviations in their statements,” Clausen told Charlotte, “Every detail is important.”

Charlotte turned hearing her phone vibrate. She picked it up seeing a message from Peter telling her, ‘I’ve found Noah. Come to the Bunker.’

Clausen looked at the woman and asked, “Something wrong?”

“I have to go,” Charlotte tried to rush out.

Clausen interrupted and commented, “I don’t have a driver’s license. I assume it’s okay if I ride with you tomorrow?”

Charlotte turned to him, “Yes.” She walked out to go meet up with her husband.

In 2053, Jonas walked around the desolate forest. He hiked to the bunker. He turned on his spherical light and lowered himself inside. He studied his map then grabbed his Geiger counter before heading out.

Annalise, in 2019, crept into Jonas’s father’s studio. It was actually the first time she had ever been up here. She searched for something where she could toss the letter that she needed to burn. It wasn’t long before she found the metal bucket. But there was something strange. A covered painting. Something inside of her called to it. As if it were meant for her to pull the sheet. The girl grasped the cloth and pulled it away to reveal, looking back at her, a smiling girl. The resemblance was uncanny. Annalise fell to the floor. Her breathing hitched inside of her chest. Tears fell from her eyes seeing her happy naive face staring back at her. She was so full of love. Annalise scrunched her face, she had never met Jonas’s father had she? Much less when she was the age she was in the painting. The pieces slowly came together. She breathed heavily. “Mikkel,” she whispered. She started to sob. Annalise quickly snapped herself out of it. She grabbed the bucket, lit the letter on fire, and dropped it into the bucket watching it burn.

Martha scattered the papers and documents around trying to find any clue she could. Magnus slowly opened the door to see his sister on the floor acting erratically. Martha looked up to defend herself, “Mom didn’t lock it.”

Magnus took a breath and asked, “What’s that?”

“Dad’s stuff,” Martha replied, “Police documents and maps of the cave. That’s why Mom goes there every day. I think she’s looking for this.” Martha handed Magnus the file.

Magnus studied it, “A door. In the caves?”

Martha nodded, “It goes to the nuclear power plant. They all know something we’re not supposed to know. Mom, Bartosz, The police, Annalise.” She sighed shaking her head, “Each with their own shitty secret.”

Angry, Magnus started to breath heavily trying to process that maybe that thing Martha said at the very beginning, the day Mikkel went missing, was true.

Bartosz trekked to the caves alone. He stood there waiting for Noah only for the man to approach from behind him, coming from deep inside the cave.

“Are you ready,” Noah asked the boy.

Bartosz nodded and followed the man into the cave, but not before turning back to take a look at Winden again.

Woller walked out of his sister’s trailer and complemented, “Thanks for the coffee.” He pulled out an envelope with money and handed it to her in exchange to the keys of the large shipping truck parked next to her trailer.

“I’m glad to get rid of that thing,” she commented nodding towards the truck.

Woller was just about to leave. He didn’t like that this was how he and his sister were communicating. He looked at her and said, “Call Mom again. Okay?”

Bernette nodded and allowed herself to hug her brother before he left with a simple exchanged ‘bye.’

Charlotte drove to the cabin and climbed down into the bunker. When she got there her husband turned and showed her a very old photograph.

Peter pointed, “That is Noah.” Charlotte looked up at him surprised, then took the picture to study it more closely. Peter continued, “Elisabeth found it at the store. It was in a book. She said that’s the man who gave her the watch.”

Charlotte turned it over to see the date on it was January 8, 1921. She read aloud, “Sic Mundus Creatus Est.”

“Charlotte, who are these people,” Peter asked her, “Why did your grandfather have this?”

Charlotte shook her head, “I don’t know.”

Peter scoffed before Charlotte added it to the evidence on the walls of the bunker. They turned to each other in disbelief.

Franziska tried to call Magnus again as Elisabeth napped with her head on her older sister’s lap. He kept rejecting her calls.

Hannah sat on the edge of Jonas’s bed as Annalise walked in. She turned to the girl and motioned to her older son’s scars. Annalise made no inclination of change in mood. Her face looked empty and devoid of any feelings once so ever. The two switched places as Hannah walked down stairs to go to sleep herself.

Regina slept in her bed in the house as her husband poured the concrete over the waste. He stared at it as Clausen stared at his board of missing persons.

The young Noah walked out of Sic Mundus and the young Jonas walked through the trees trying to get to the plant to sneak inside. There he found a tunnel which he crawled through and followed the signal to where the pool once was.

Feeling the shifting of weight on the bed, the older Jonas jerked awake. He quickly and effectively grabbed Annalise and tossed her under him. His breathing fast and heavy until the hasy mist of sleep dissipated from him to reveal who it was. Seeing her face calmed him. He gently cupped her face and smiled through tears. “You really shouldn’t sneak up on people like that,” he commented rolling over to lay down once more.

Annalise turned onto her side so that way they were face to face as they spoke, “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. I just…” She swallowed, “You are so injured my love.” Tears fell from her eyes onto his pillow.

He nodded, “Yes, but it’s all to end this. I’ve seen far worse than what those scars tell you.” His thumb traced her cheek as he spoke quietly to her. He tried to soothe her tears away. He joined their hands together. He pulled them up to his rough and battered lips so that he could kiss her soft smooth knuckles before linking their fingers together. He kissed her forehead and confessed, “I am so sorry for everything. If I were only wiser, we wouldn’t be tangled into this knot and you would never feel any of this pain.”

A small smile fought its way onto her face as she tried to comfort him as well, “My dearest, it is alright. I know you will fix this. You will always be with me,” She kissed his cheek, “Please never let me go.”

The younger Jonas found it. He slipped into the yellow radiation suit and stared at it. They were right. There in front of his was the God particle. He turned and looked at all the documents surrounding it before turning his attention back to the black throbbing tendril-filled swirling sphere.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I am UBER late with this. I had some commissions I had to do and took a bit of time to do that. I also was taking time to work on some of the later parts of this fic that y'all will see in four more chapters. I hope y'all like this one though!

“We have managed to stabilize the God Particle and the resulting mass,” Claudia’s recorded voice echoed through the empty power plant, “In a stable state, it seems to create a kind of portal which allows for time travel. If the matter is supplied with sufficient voltage, it can be kept in a stable state in the long term. Sending objects through the stabilized matter has already proven possible.” Jonas stared at the swirling dark mass before him as the recording continued, “A generator has to supply sufficient AC current for that. Even after lengthy observation, we’re not sure what the energy source of the unstable matter is. Measurements indicate there is no form of energy loss.” Jonas looked down at his sheet as he continued to work on the machines trying to make a portal for him to go back home. “It appears to be a type of self sustaining recursive system.” Jonas stood back and threw the switch. Frustratingly, the system still didn’t work as the prerecorded Claudia droned on, “The matter’s radiation levels exceed control values. Still no sign of decay has been observed. This is consistent with the laws of conservation of energy, yet contradicts the second law of thermodynamics. Moreover the matter seems to exist independent of external temperature, in solid, liquid, and gaseous states at once. And the molecules seem to be in a constant cycle.” Jonas tried once more. Only this time the machine actually powered up. The ball formed into a perfect sphere causing Jonas to start awestruck at the dropping sphere only for the power to stop. He turned around annoyed trying to find the source of the problem. There, the generator lacked the proper oil to continue.

The sun rose on the 22nd of June 1987. It was five days until the apocalypse. Mikkel shot up in his new bed. There on his wall was a picture of the Goonies. He squeezed his eyes closed and slowly opened them again to study the ‘Captain Future’ and ‘Nuclear Navigators’ comics scattered across his floor. He slowly pulled himself out of bed and shook his head. He could almost feel like Annalise was there. Like a phantom of her fleeting across his imagination. He slowly made his way downstairs where Ines was working on making a sandwich for him.

“Hey, sleepyhead. We’re running a bit late today,” Ines commented. She packed his lunch into his bag. When she saw Mikkel just staring at her, she sighed and said, “Come on, everything will be fine. Just one more week and it’s summer vacation.”

Part of him wondered if this was what it was like for Jonas on his first day back to school. He sighed and recounted to Ines, “It’s my mother’s birthday today.” He longed to be there. He knew in his heart that had he been in his time, Magnus and Martha would be rushing around downstairs decorating as Ulrich swooped back into the house with the last of the needed icing for the Black Forest gâteau Annalise was making. His heart yearned to be on the counter kicking his legs as he stole some of the cherries that were going to decorate the top of the cake. As punishment, Annalise would place a bit of Ganache on the tip of his nose while licking the rest off her finger with a smile that lit up his dreams. Ulrich would then place a bit of the left over batter across her cheek using one of the spatulas that she had used to stir it and wink at his son as if he knew how much Mikkel loved her.

Ines slowly put down her keys and cupped the boy’s face, “You know what we said about that.” She tried to reason with Mikkel, “The past is the past…” She brushed his hair away from his face.

Mikkel nodded, “The now is now.”

Ines caressed him before asking, “Shall we?” At Mikkel’s shrug, she stood up and told him, “Come on.” She led him outside so that he could go to school without any more talk or thoughts of his past life.

Claudia called through her house, “Regina! You’re going to be late!” She turned to Egon and told him, “The French delegation is visiting the plant. I just can’t do it.”

Egon shook his head and explained, “No problem. I don’t have anything else to do.”

Claudia stormed to try and find her daughter, “Regina!”

“I can really do this more often,” Egon told his daughter. When Claudia walked back Gretchen followed her. Something in the back of the man’s head tingled with familiarity. “Where did you find this little one,” he asked Regina. He scooped the dog up into his arms as Claudia stared at him in panic. “Looks like Gretchen,” he commented.

Claudia shook her head quickly lying, “Nonsense.” She took the dog from the confused man and called for her daughter once more, “Regina! Where are you?”

“Listen,” Egon confessed wavering, “I actually wanted to talk to you. There’s something I have to tell you.”

Regina, who was finally ready to go from straightening her hair, walked out right at that moment, “Hi, Grandpa. Can we go?” She was in a rush to go and she walked around with her head held high and a newer self confidence that could only be led back to her meeting the boy Aleksander.

“No need to say bye.” Claudia yelled, “No problem!” After hearing the door slam, she turned back to her father and asked, “You wanted to tell me something?”

Egon bit his lip and shook his head. He, then, nodded and told her, “Never mind. Alright. I will see you later.” He walked out following his granddaughter.

At the police station in 2020, Charlotte stared at the picture of Noah and Sic Mundus. She turned it over to confirm that on the back it indeed still read, ‘8. January 1921. Sic Mundus Creatus Est.’ She looked up and rolled to her search engine on her work computer and typed in ‘Sic Mundus Creatus Est.’ When she searched it she came across the meaning, ‘Thus the world was created.’

Clausen walked into Charlotte’s office and informed her, “The interview with Mrs. Tiedemann. Already forgotten?”

Charlotte shook her head, “No. I thought you might do it alone after all.”

“Why,” Clausen raised his brow, “Do you have something better to do?”

Charlotte’s hands raised defensively, “No. I just wondered why we’re starting with Mrs. Tiedemann. She has no link to any of the missing people.”

Clausen sighed, “Everyone disappeared near the caves and the nuclear power plant grounds.” He walked in as he explained, “Your colleague Ulrich Nielsen’s brother disappeared in that area in 1986 as well. And then… There’s also the door in the caves leading right to the nuclear power plant.” He leaned over the desk and asked her, “How long have Aleksander Tiedemann and his wife been married?”

Charlotte furrowed her brow then shook her head looking at him, “I don’t exactly know. Regina was… in her mid twenties. Why?”

“Don’t you find it unusual,” He asked.

Charlotte asked for clarification, “What?”

“That Aleksander Tiedemann took his wife’s name,” Clausen spoke.

Charlotte shook her head, “No.”

“Shall we go,” He asked her again.

Charlotte, taking the hint, stood up and started to walk out. When Clausen didn’t make an immediate move she called to him and asked, “Are you coming?”

“Yes,” he called to her as he walked away still curious about what his colleague was trying to hide from him.

Elizabeth stared at her book that she got from her great grandfather’s old shop. She was completely absorbed in it that she nearly didn’t notice her sister standing up to go get the door. She was a bit confused because their parents weren’t supposed to be home yet.

Hearing the doorbell, Franziska stood up and walked to the door. She opened the door to reveal Magnus. Annoyed, she asked him, “Hey, where have you been?” He paced inside with the girl hot on his trail, “Why didn’t you call me back? I was trying to reach you the whole time.”

Magnus turned to her and scowled, “Last year, I know where you got the money.” He shook his head and quoted Bernadette, “ ‘Blow job 40 euros, anal 85. Kinky stuff costs extra?’ Who did you do it with, huh? Who did you blow in this damn shithole?” Franziska’s face contorted in confusion and hurt as Magnus continued, “Nothing has changed. Everyone lies. Everyone cheats.”

Franziska shook her head. Her face reddening from trying to hold back tears, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I followed you,” confessed Magnus, “I know who you get your money from.”

Franziska took a large breath and angrily asked, “So your first thought is that I prostitute myself?”

Sneering, Magnus replied, “What else?”

Franziska yelled at him, “I don’t sell my tits or ass! I sell hormone therapy prescriptions, you idiot! My father used to use them to pay for his visits. He stopped going and now I’m the new supplier.”

Magnus stared at her and shook his head, “Why do you do it?”

“I help her, she helps me,” Franziska shouted at him, “It’s that simple!” Magnus started to shake his head causing the girl to continue, “The secrets aren’t the problem, it’s the shit we all project onto others. I said it’s none of your fucking business, and it isn’t! I can’t believe you spied on me. How messed up are you?” She stormed past him to go back into the den to sit on the sofa.

Magnus stared at her for a second before storming out the house.

The older Jonas watched as the girl started to cry in her sleep. He reached over to her and started to wipe her tears away. He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her pulling the girl on top of him. Her hair stuck to his beard as he kissed the top of her head once again. He held her closer as she started to thrash and scream.

Annalise was drowning in the void. It felt as if someone, or something, was dragging her down deep within the depths. Before, she was on a small makeshift raft with Bartosz, Magnus, Martha, Regina, and Aleksander, a storm hit causing her and Martha to be thrown overboard. But now she was in a deep, black void. As she cried out, it only felt as though the dark liquid rushed into her mouth and lungs. Every turn she saw another cold, swollen, lifeless face there with her. Mikkel, Erik, Jonas, Ulrich, Yasin, Helge, her own father Lukas, and when she looked down, there smiling up at her, each holding an ankle was herself and David. Every fiber of her being was on fire, yet ice cold.

Jonas winced at her scratching at him as if she were a caged animal. He called to her, “Annalise, my love. Wake up.” He squeezed her a bit tighter in his arms, “Darling. Wake up.”

Annalise shook awake. Her body convulsed as it coughed up air as if she was choking. Her eyes released more tears as she tried her best to breathe. She buried herself into the man’s neck and wrapped herself around him.

He slowly pulled her close to him and lifted them out of bed. He cradled her as he walked with her still crying into his shoulder. He cooed, “I know. I know. It’s okay. You’re safe now. You’re right here with me. Everything’s okay.” As he comforted her, she only responded by wrapping her arms around his neck tighter. He sauntered to his bag and wobbly bent down to place it on the chair so that he could grab a clean shirt out of it. After placing the clean shirt onto his arm, he slowly started to walk them to the shower. Jonas started it running. He whispered into her ear, “I’m going to slip if I keep holding you like this. Are you okay?” When he felt her nod, he placed her down gently and grabbed her face. He kissed right in the middle of her big puffy red eyes. Jonas told her, “It won’t take long okay?” He put his shirt in the sink.

Annalise nodded. She looked at his chest finally to see tiny red scrapes that seemed like claw marks.

When Annalise reached to touch the scratches she gave him, Jonas turned from her and chuckled, “don’t worry about it.” He said, “As you can see, you have to do a lot more than that to hurt me. I have thick skin.”

Her lips trembled as she nodded and waited for him to be done before going in herself. She washed away the cold sweat off of her. She could feel him still there in the room with her, yet she just focused on the warm water carrying all the fear from her.

Jonas stared at her form hidden from him by the curtain. He didn’t want to leave her alone just in case. He knew what trauma did to people all too well. He turned to face himself in the mirror. He stared at his face wondering how, if things were different, would he still be the same. Would he still look like this? He tried to imagine what Annalise herself would look like. He only ever knew her at this age. Would she still love him if she were able to go past this?

Annalise slowly turned off the shower. She dried herself off and walked out. She noticed him looking distressed. She smiled gently at him, “Is there something wrong?”

He shook his head, “No. I’m sorry for worrying you.” He watched as she stole one of his old hoodies and slipped it on. A smile spread across his face. His heart was young and light once more. His eyes lit up. His troubles felt so far away seeing her in his clothes. He couldn’t believe he took all of this for granted so long ago.

Annalise gave him a hug and asked Jonas, “Should we head downstairs? Get some breakfast?” She kissed his hidden jaw.

Jonas nodded, “Yeah.” He watched as she walked into his room to place her phone to charge. He started his way downstairs after grabbing his suitcase.

Hannah sat at the table looking at pictures of her son. She felt at a loss. He was here with them, yet her Jonas was off in the future. Annalise seemed to have moved on very quickly to this new Jonas that actually burned inside of her a bit. She placed the picture down when she heard his heavy steps go down the stairs.

Jonas silently placed his suitcase on the table and opened it up for his mother. He took out his time machine to show to her.

“What’s this,” Hannah asked.

Annalise answered from the stairs, “A time machine.” She walked down stairs and kissed Jonas’s cheek. She told him, “I’m going. I will see you later.” She pulled away from him after he gave her a small acknowledgement nod and walked towards the door.

Hannah looked back at Jonas, “Since when? You know what… Please continue.”

“This machine takes you 33 years into the past,” Jonas explained as he finished opening up the box, “and 33 years into the future.”

Hannah stood up and examined the box, “You’re both serious?”

Jonas stared at her then sighed, “I did it all wrong. I tried to keep a secret. The truth is, that is exactly what’s destroying us. The secrets. Mom, I know that sounds insane. That’s why I want you to see it for yourself. With your own eyes.”

“What do you mean,” Hannah asked her son.

Jonas whispered, “Dad’s secret.”

Mikkel walked up to the school. He zoned out for a second only to get shoulder checked by a black eyed Katharina who told him to, “Get out the way dork.”

Hannah stopped to look at him giving him a small smile before getting called back by her friend.

“Hannah, come on!” Katharina commanded. When Hannah hurried up to meet her, she asked, “What are you staring at?”

Mikkel sighed and turned away from the school to walk away.

Claudia power walked her way through the power plant with Gretchen in toe. Her heels clicked against the concrete floors.

Her assistant rushed to her and said, “Thank God you’re here. Someone’s waiting for you in your office. I didn’t know… It was about the dog. She says it’s hers.”

Claudia looked up at the woman in shock. She then walked into her office to see an older lady with long gray hair. The small poodle trotted up to the woman proving that Gretchen did indeed know who she was. 1986 Claudia looked at the woman and asked, “Is that your dog? I’m so sorry. She ran up to me. We called the shelter and no one reported her missing. And she resembles the dog I had as a kid.”

“Gretchen,” the older Claudia told her younger self.

Scared, the younger Claudia asked, “How do you know that?”

The older woman shrugged a bit with a playful look in her eye, “Because it’s my dog. Just like it’s yours.”

The younger Claudia took a step back realizing the full scope of what the older woman had said. Breathing hard, she asked, “Excuse me?”

“And the blood test results,” Egon asked the doctor, “So it’s already spread. To the hospital? This Friday? No. Yes, that should work. Don’t worry. I have someone. Yes.” He hung up the phone and slowly walked himself to his chair to sit and contemplate his life. Seeing Mads face in the newspaper reminded him of his missed appointment with Helge. He looked up knowing what he had to do.

“I know it’s hard to believe,” The older Claudia told her younger self, “But I remember.”

“What,” 1987 Claudia shook her head.

The older Claudia clarified, “this precise moment. Go to the blinds. Trust me.” She watched as her younger self followed her instruction then stated, “two people are sitting at their desks, Hermann and Kowaltschik. Our secretary will approach the desk on the right in a moment. She’ll fan her face on the way. Watch Kowaltschik. He’s about to drop his pen.”

Everything happened just as the older woman described causing Claudia to turn to her and ask, “How did you do that?”

“I experienced it all,” The older Claudia explained while holding the small poodle in her arms, “Everything you’ve ever experienced and everything you ever will. I am you. And I was told by me that you and I are the same person.”

Claudia shook her head, “That’s impossible.”

Her older self sighed and watched as she moved to sit back down again. “This is Gretchen,” The older self explained, “The day she ran into the cave. I was there waiting for her. She recognized me at once as if I hadn’t aged a second. I brought her to the other side so that you would find her. Some things have to happen as they always have.”

Claudia nodded, “The cave. The incident last summer. Something else happened after all!”

In 2053, Jonas walked through the empty foggy streets to grab some more fuel. He then set up a small music player in the school to distract everyone from what he was doing. The ghost form of Annalise danced around him with a smile on her face and an arm around her own waist as she twirled. She beckoned him to join her, Martha, and Bartosz in having fun. Bartosz was there with her dancing with her with one of his arms limp to the side as Martha sat on the desk with a hole in her heart bobbing her head to the music. He walked past their phantoms and grabbed his things to continue his work so that he could actually join them in their time rather than just seeing distant memories of them. Just on time, the patrol truck passed. The group hopped out to prepare their raid on the building. Jonas, then, jumped over the wall so that he could syphon its gas into his canister. He quickly ducked behind the wall scared out of his mind as the person guarding the tank had started to move over towards the side he was previously on. There beside him as he breathed quickly was a hazy form of Annalise. As if a memory of her sitting pressed a wall. Her breathing slow. Her eyes were closed helping him slowly close his eyes and calm his breathing so that he was less likely to be heard.

“Do you believe in ghosts,” The young Regina asked.

Aleksander replied, “What do you mean?”

Regina laughed, “The book we’re reading at school. It’s about ghosts and demons” They sat facing each other tangled up in the other’s legs. She continued, “that we inherit from our parents.” She lifted up their held hands and explained, “And...that you pass them on. Dark stuff. From generation to generation.”

Aleksander shrugged and shook his head, “Maybe.” His thumbs grazed the back of her palms. He chuckled and smirked, “I’m sure you inherited your mother’s best features.” He folded his arms so that her arms were even more intertwined with his.

“I didn’t know if she had any,” sighed Regina.

“No,” the lovestruck boy teased.

Regina smiled as she shook her head, “You have no idea. She...She’s never around. And when she is, all she does is gripe about me.” Aleksander let out a large breath and started to trace his loved one’s scars on her wrist as she continued, “She has never once said, ‘I love you’ to me.”

Aleksander sighed. His eyes held her hostage as he told her, “I love you.” He held that moment between them before they both leaned forward to press their lips against their partner’s.

Clausen asked the older Regina, “How would you describe your relationship with Ulrich Nielsen?”

“I think it’s known that we have no relationship with the Nielsens,” the woman explained.

Clausen heckled, “Yet he showed up at your hotel the day before he disappeared. What did he want?”

Charlotte stared at the box on the table as Regina explained, “He wanted to know what really happened in 1986. Because I was the last one… to see his brother alive.”

Clausen looked around the room and commented, “Your husband. How long has he lived in Winden?”

“Since 1986. Why do you ask,” asked Regina right back.

Clausen then asked, “Why did he take your last name?”

“What does one have to do with the other,” she asked while shaking her head.

Charlotte threw up her hands and started to act as if getting up, “If we are done here--”

Clausen shushed her and motioned for the woman to stop. “There is still something,” He commented to his coworker. He turned towards Regina and asked, “Isn’t there?”

Regina nodded and said, “Last year, a stranger came to the hotel. Those are his things.” Charlotte nodded and opened the box as the other woman continued, “He wanted to rent a room. He looked like a homeless person. He paid cash. He left after a few days, but he wanted to keep the room. He never came back.” She watched as Charlotte started to spread out all of the older Jonas’s things across the table. Regina told Clausen, “These were all over his walls. As he was leaving he asked me to mail a package for him. ”

“To whom,” asked Clausen.

Regina took a baited breath and then told him, “Jonas Kahnwald.”

Annalise stared down at the lake beneath her. The stone ledge was the only thing keeping her from it’s depths. She swallowed down her anxiety and started to strip down. She hung her borrowed clothes on a tree branch. She walked a little away from the ledge, turned, then sprinted right off. As her feet left the hard ground, she performed a dive straight into the lake below her. Her eyes closed. Her heart beat faster than she ever knew it to beat.

Magnus happened to be passing by as he sulked in the forest. He saw Annalise run, then, jump into the water. He started to panic. The boy knew how she was about water and swimming. He threw off his shirt and pants hurrying to get into the water. “Annalise,” yelled the boy as he swam out towards where she had jumped.

Weightlessness was a melancholic memory. Annalise opened her eyes feeling herself submerged in the water. She needed to get deeper. She spread her legs much like a frog and forced them together propelling herself farther into the lake. Her hair flowed behind her as she tried to force her way into the darkness. She kept swimming down until she started to hear thrashing near the service of the water. She turned her head to see a pair of legs there. It wasn’t long until she saw Magnus dive down as well. He looked so scared. Annalise swam over to him and grabbed his shoulders.

Magnus flailed beneath the water looking for the girl. He couldn’t spot her until she grabbed onto his shoulders and turned him towards the surface once more. She pointed upwards indicating that they should go up to talk. He nodded and swam up after her. Once he was out of the water he watched her breathing deeply and screamed, “What the fucking hell?” He pushed his hair out of his face.

Annalise turned toward him, “What are you doing here Magnus?” She had finally caught her breath. Her eyes burned from trying to transition from water to air again causing her to repeatedly blink.

“What am I doing here,” He yelled at her, swimming them towards the rocky edge for them to sit, “What the hell were you thinking? That was so fucking stupid! What if I weren’t here?”

Annalise smiled at him as she pulled herself out the water and wrung out her hair. She giggled for a second and slyly commented, “I’d probably still be trying to see how far I could go.”

He growled at her, “You could have gotten seriously hurt.” He watched as she sprawled on top of the sun-warmed rock. As much as he hated to admit it, he felt a little proud seeing her so nonchalant about the water now. He ended up laying down next to her and asked, “But seriously, what made you do this?”

“Honestly,” Annalise sighed, “Everything is just so...crazy right now, that I might as well have done it, right?”

Magnus nodded, “Yeah. I know what you mean.”

The two lay there in the sun letting its heat dry them from the darkness they were once surrounded by. They were there in silence for several minutes before Annalise spoke up again, “You never told me why you were here.” With her eyes still closed absorbing the warmth of the light, she raised one of her eyebrows.

Magnus nodded with his closed as well, “Franziska and I got into it because of some dumbass thing I did.”

Annalise nodded, “Ah.”

Silence overcame the moment once again as they just tried to process their life. They both enjoyed being with each other not having to say anything at all sometimes. Their friendship allowing them to feel the passage of time and their responsibility to it without words. Magnus didn’t realize how much he was going to treasure this memory with her as his life would continue without having her physically being around him.

After a while, Annalise turned to her friend and asked, “Do you hate me?”

“Sometimes,” Magnus admitted, turning to look at her. He huffed and explained, “I sometimes think that you do actually know more about what happened to my father and brother, yet you are refusing to tell me or anyone. Then, I remember that you would never do that to us.” He lay back onto his back and stated, “You love us far too much to ever do anything like that.”

Annalise lay back down as well, “Yeah.”

The older Jonas led his mother through the Winden caves. He periodically looked back to make sure she was still there with him and not hurt. When they got to a large cavern within the space, he set up his machine.

“What is this,” Hannah asked the older version of her son. She breathed heavily and asked, “What are we doing here?”

“It’s safer to travel from here,” He explained to his mother. He knelt down and started to fiddle with the box to start up the machine. He looked up at his mother and told her, “I told you it would be easier to understand once you’ve seen it.”

Mikkel was walking his way back home on the outskirts of the woods just as the box in 2020 was powering up.

Stranger Jonas turned to his mother and told her, “Don’t be scared.” He held her shaking hand as they prepared to travel.

Mikkel continued his walk through the woods avoiding school. Then he heard it. The noise he recognized. He ran his way to the caves hoping to find his way home. He walked closer towards it only to be stopped by a man’s voice.

“Should you be in school,” asked Noah. He walked towards the boy as he continued to cut and eat his apple.

Mikkel looked at him, “I know you.” The boy said, “You were in the hospital.”

Noah strolled over to the boy and explained, “I like coming here. Special place. So...Why aren’t you in school?” When Mikkel didn’t reply, the man smiled, “I see. Sometimes we don’t really know where we’re supposed to be.” He pointed with his knife towards the caves and said, “But I wouldn’t go in there. It’s like a maze in there. Some have never returned.” Noah put away his knife and started to walk away.

“At the hospital,” Mikkel said to the man, “you said something. The thing about God and that he has a plan for everyone. But what if God has no idea what he’s doing? What if the plan is wrong? If God is mistaken?”

Noah shook his head, “God doesn’t make mistakes. Sometimes we have to have more faith that everything will be okay again.” He turned away and tossed the apple to the side as he walked away.

Egon smiled at Helge, “I’ve been wanting to come by for quite some time. Now that I’m retired, I have time.” Helge looked up at him then started to make his little nature soldiers once more. Egon continued, “I… Mads’ disappearance. I can’t stop thinking about it. On that day… you had a shift at the nuclear power plant. You said you took the country road home, but that’s a detour. Why didn’t you take the forest road?”

Helge slowly spoke, “He… He said… He can change everything. He can change the past, and the future.”

“Who said that,” asked Egon.

Helge replied, “The man with the stone.”

Egon asked, “But that was 33 years ago. What does that have to do with Mads?”

Helge took a deep breath, “But no one can change it. No one. Not even the White Devil.”

“The White Devil,” Egon asked, “You’ve said that before. Back then, as a child.”

Helge started to work once more. He kept repeating to himself, “Tick-Tock. Tick-tock.”

The older Claudia stood in the cave with her younger self. She explained, “I would like you to trust in an idea that’s bigger than you. Bigger than any of us.” She started to unscrew a canister of the God Particle.

“What’s that,” the younger self asked.

Older Claudia explained, “This is humankind’s greatest discovery. And also its doom. It allows you to travel through time. Thirty three years back. Thirty three years forward. And it will take exactly 33 years for the cycle to be completed again. Until you are standing where I am standing now and accept your role in this never-ending dance, and every sacrifice it requires. In five days, everything will start over. You must stop Adam.”

The younger Claudia shook her head, “Who is Adam?”

“You don’t understand it yet,” She explained then took out some diagrams, “But you soon will.” She let the younger version of her take it then continued once more, “Until then, everything will happen as it always has. As it must.” She started up the machine allowing herself to back way, “In the end, life is just a collection of missed opportunities. You don’t have much more time with Regina. But if everything works out… she will live.” After that, she disappeared in a black sphere leaving Claudia alone in the cave.

Jonas trekked back to his secret place in the nuclear power plant. As soon as he crawled under. Silja and her group were there with guns pointed at him. Elizabeth walked out from the woods and the boy knew he was in trouble.

Charlotte drove and called Peter. She explained what she had learned to him in a panicked tone. She looked over to her grandfather’s book next to her then back onto the road. She started to break down with her husband asking, “Why did he never tell me who my parents really were?”

Jonas stood there with the noose around his neck and his feet and wrists bound. He glared out at Elisabeth as he shed a tear.

Silja translated for her once more, “You know the rules. Do you think they don’t apply to you?”

Elisabeth held her gun up at him then Jonas asked her, “Why are you lying to them? Why don’t you tell them what’s really in the dead zone?” She shot his leg causing the boy to cry out in pain. He yelled, “In five days, in my time, everybody is going to die! I have to stop that. There is no prophecy! The passage will never open. Your paradise does not exist! But behind the wall-”

Elisabeth had enough of his desperate pleas and kicked his stand from under him. Silja couldn’t even watch as she heard him choking. After a short while, Elisabeth shot the rope allowing the boy down from his hanging.

Egon sat at his home and answered his phone, “Hello? Egon here. Yes. Listen, in 1953 we arrested a man. What happened to him after 1953? He killed two kids back then. Then he abducted Helge Doppler. Yeah. I wanted to know what happened to him. Yes, I’ll hold.” He stared at the picture of Ulrich then when he heard a reply, “Yes? Okay, that’s the case. What? He’s still here? Where?”

He then went to visit the mental hospital where Ulrich was staying. When the nurse led him to the man, he slowly approached. “Excuse me, please. You may not remember me anymore. My name is Egon Tiedemann. I arrested you 34 years ago.”

Ulrich turned towards him and said, “Egon Tiedemann.” He stood up and asked, “How could I ever forget you?”

“I…” Egon stumbled over his words, “I wanted… I have a few questions.”

Ulrich leaned over and sniffed the man. He then quoted in English, “‘My only aim is to take many lives. The more the better I feel.’”

Egon moved back, “I know that. You’ve said that before. What does it mean?”

Ulrich shook his head, “It means that you, you moron, still haven’t understood a thing.” He sat back down at his table, “But now you have to hurry. You don’t have much time left. I know when you die. It was in the paper.”

Egon moved closer to him, “I don’t understand.”

“No,” Ulrich told the man, “Of course you don’t. But maybe that is also your fate. To die as clueless as you were when you were born.” Ulrich laughed, “Everyone gets what they deserve.”

A storm brewed in Winden causing Mikkel to walk back home to an awaiting Ines. She sat at the table smoking. She ran to her son and asked, “Where have you been?” She held him and told the boy, “I was so worried.” She sniffled, “I called the school. They said you never showed up there. Did something happen?” When Mikkel didn’t reply, she looked down, “You know what? There are days it’s best to just forget. But… There’s no better comfort food than ‘Toast Hawaii.’ We always had it at home when I was little, with two maraschino cherries. And my dad used to dance like Elvis.” She put down the can of pineapples.

“Do you believe in God,” asked Mikkel.

Ines made a face. She remembered back to the handsome boy who made her interested in the church. His strong sense of will, right and wrong, and how his smile reminded her of a sunset. He always knew exactly what to say and could make her laugh even on her worst days. He would clown around and end up just hurting himself trying to make her smile, but he would always pop back up with a large goofy smile. He was like that with nearly everyone though. He was constantly making Helge feel better about himself. She remembered one time he really made her heart race though. They were helping the community kids learn how to dance. David was sitting out initially and was there to help demonstrate with the Pastor, but no one wanted to partner with her, so he walked over to her. He smiled oh so gently at her and held her close as they danced. He leaned down and in a low voice sang the song just for her, into her ear. After he pulled away, he, in a husky voice just loud enough for prying ears to hear and with a devious smirk, said, “Here’s looking at you, Kid.” He made her feel like the most desirable person in the room. It worked on everyone else too because boys stopped bullying her and girls started to be a bit nicer to her in school. In fact, the group of girls pulled her and Jana to cluck with the rest of them about the boys and question her about David. She started to go to church a lot more after that just to see the older boy. He would walk her and Jana home. After dropping Jana home first, he’d always leave her just like how he pulled away from her after dancing and adding a sweet chaste kiss where her forehead met her hair line. She could remember how lonely he looked walking away. As if, his happiness was simply a mask to make everyone else happy and there was some darkness lurking beneath the surface.

Ines looked at her son and nodded.

“Do you believe he has a plan for us,” Mikkel asked.

Ines sighed. She thought back to David and her own life after trying to chase the feeling of what he left her...then the feeling of losing her birth son… She nodded once again, “I believe… he does. I believe, for example, that God saw to it that you came to me. And that his plan for me is to be there for you.” She smiled at the boy and rubbed his shoulders, “Right, let’s make ‘Toast Hawaii,’ okay?” She sniffled back tears, “Will you help me?”

Mikkel followed the woman and gave her a much needed hug to comfort the both of them.

In 2053, Jonas sat in his cage. He struggled with his leg and breathing. When he heard Silja, he backed himself more into the corner. His breath hitched as she pointed the gun at him.

“Why didn’t she kill you,” She asked. She stared at him and asked, “Who are you really?” When he didn’t reply, she yelled, “Who are you?” Jonas stared at her debating for a second before she knocked off the lock and opened his cage. She told him, “I want you to show me. What’s really in the dead zone.”

Jonas agreed and they snuck into the dead zone as Charlotte in 2020 looked for answers of her parents. The older Hannah walked towards the 1987 version of her house. There in the window was Ines and Mikkel laughing. Ulrich looked out of his window as Egon looked over his files. The older Jonas held his mother as she realized her husband was Mikkel. Peter rushed to his wife’s side holding her knowing that she needed it. Annalise walked Magnus home and held him close as tears fell from her eyes. Jonas showed Silja the mass. Claudia trekked back to her house and dug up the time machine her older self left for her 33 years prior.

Jonas put the gasoline into the generator and cranked the machine to life.

“What is that,” Silja asked.

Jonas said, “She said it’s a portal.”

“Who,” asked the girl.

Jonas explained, “I have tapes with a woman speaking on them. Her name is Claudia Tiedermann. I know none of this makes sense, but that may be the only way back home.” He pointed to it, “No clue if it works.” He turned the electrical on to see the blob turn into a sphere.

“You want to go in,” Silja tried to reason with the boy.

He turned to her and explained, “It doesn’t matter if I die inside of it or out here.” He walked his way to the sphere and slowly let his hand be consumed for a second. He took it out to see if it was okay. With that, he stepped in with the girl calling for him back in 2053. 


	13. Chapter 13

“I’ve seen you grown up,” Noah told the small boy, “Become a man. The whole cycle of your life. Time chose you. God chose you. That’s why David saved you.” He continued to strap him into the chair version of the time machine that Helge would later help the man develop to work once more, “Don’t forget that we are your home now, too. No harm will come to you. We’re watching over you. Time is always with you. Wherever you go. You carry it in you. And it carries you. It sees and hears everything that you do and say. Tick tock.”

The small Helge repeated after him, “Tick. Tock.”

Doris lay in bed blissfully happy as Agnes removed herself from beneath the other woman’s skirt. The two giggled until Claudia opened the door. Doris hurried up off the bed as Agnes quickly pulled away. “Claudia,” The mother exclaimed, “You haven’t left yet?”

Claudia shifted uncomfortably, “I forgot the milk money. But it’s okay.” She turned to leave.

“Wait,” Agnes turned and grabbed her purse. She handed Claudia some money and told her, “Get yourself some fruit drops.”

The two women smiled at the young girl who harshly thanked the woman cheating with her mom on her dad and walked away. Agnes hurriedly closed the door behind her. Doris started to panic, “Oh God. Do you think she noticed?”

Agnes held the other woman’s hands in her’s, trying to comfort her, “Don’t worry. Every family has its secrets.” They nodded at each other. Agnes then realized the time and started to leave.

“Going somewhere,” Doris asked.

Agnes grabbed her bag and coat. She told the woman, “Nowhere special. Just some errands.” The two gave each other a tender kiss before Agnes pulled away, “You’re beautiful.” She giggled and walked out the house.

Doris, slowly, slid down the drawers and giggled.

Helge slowly limped his way back home. There was only 4 days before the Apocalypse left. He stood in the entry waiting for his mother. Greta hurried down the stairs. When she saw her son, she ran to him. She dropped to her knees and held her injured son. She started to pray thanking the absent God that her son had been returned back to her.

Daniel sat in the police station talking to Egon, “Seven months on and we still have no idea who this monster is.” He placed the picture of Ulrich down, “Why is he refusing to reveal his identity? Why is no one looking for him? It makes you wonder how some people live. Almost like ghosts.” He looked towards his friend, “Egon?”

Egon sighed and asked, “Can I ask you something? Your wife and you… Are things still... Do you still have...”

“A lot,” Daniel asked.

Egon shook his head, “No. At all.”

“Look at that,” Daniel said, “I didn’t think they still made people like you. Boy, Egon… You’ve got to let out some steam. Marriage isn’t the way it’s sold to us. As soon as they have children they become different people. It’s like they're married to brats. It’s how nature wanted it. But out there… there are still loads of tender buds to pluck.”

Another officer ran in and informed the men, “They found him!”

“Found who,” asked Daniel.

“The Doppler boy,” replied the man, “Helge Doppler?”

Egon stood up and asked, “His body?”

“No,” the man replied, “The boy is alive. He just walked in the door as if nothing had happened.”

Claudia asked Tronte, “Do you like your mother? Mine is peculiar sometimes. She acts like I don’t get anything. When I have kids, I’ll be different. How come you never talk about who it was where you’re from? Before you came to Winden?”

Tronte sighed, “My mother was often sad. I was in an orphanage for ages. She doesn’t like to talk about it, so I don’t either.”

“Don’t you have any family besides your mother,” the girl bluntly asked.

Tronte explained, “My mother has a brother. But I think they hate each other.”

Claudia asked, “Do you think she’s happy here?” Tronte shrugged in response. They paused in the woods. Claudia looked around to make sure the coast was clear. After, she turned to him and asked, “Will you show it to me now?”

Tronte stood there uncomfortably. He complied with her and lowered his pants for her to look at his penis. He shifted his eyes away as she looked.

In 1987, Regina stormed through the house yelling, “Where are those damned ghosts?!” Claudia stood up and closed the suitcase with the time machine in it. She looked at her daughter when she asked, “Have you seen my book?”

“What book,” asked Claudia.

“ ‘The Ghosts,’ “ replied the girl, “You don’t have to gawp at me like that. I know I’m late.” She checked around the room only to find her book beneath some stacked newspapers. She turned to her mother and accused, “Did you put that there?”

Claudia shook her head, “No, I… I thought maybe… Maybe you’d like to skip school and we’ll do something nice.” This gave her daughter pause. Claudia continued, “I don’t know. I just thought we haven’t done anything together in so long.”

Regina shook her head and explained, “I have a German exam today and I wanted to go to the lake later.”

Claudia nodded, “Maybe another time.” When Regina turned to leave, Claudia grabbed onto her wrist, “Regina, wait.” She used that time to pull her daughter into a hug. Regina froze in her mother’s arms not actually able to process what was going on. She stared at her mother when Claudia complemented her, “I like how you wear your hair now. It makes you look so...grown up.”

Taken back, Regina really had no idea what to say. She just held her mother’s hands for a second and took a step back, “Thanks.” She looked down at her watch and told her, “I don’t have any time. I have to go.” She turned and walked away to head to school.

Claudia turned and thought. She had a revelation. “Time…” She rushed to her bookshelf and grabbed the book that Helge had given her on her first day and looked at the man who wrote it.

Egon sat at his desk with the vinyl that Ulrich was talking about. He shook his head slowly putting the pieces together as the younger him checked in on Helge in 1954.

“Good evening Ms. Doppler,” he greeted Greta.

Greta folded her arms, “I’ve already told your colleagues everything.”

Egon explained, “I’d like to ask Helge a few questions.”

Greta shook her head, “He still hasn’t said a single word. Something is odd about the boy.”

“It won’t take long,” Egon assured her. He forced himself to swallow his anxiousness.

Greta walked the man to Helge’s room where the boy solitary sat staring at his train set.

“Helge,” Egon asked, approaching the boy slowly trying not to scare him, “Remember me? I’m Claudia’s father.” Helge looked up at him then back down. Greta stood outside watching as Egon knelt besides the boy. The officer asked, “Won’t you tell me where you were all this time? And with whom? Who did that to you?”

Greta told Helge, “The inspector asked you something.” She screamed at the boy, “Say something, for goodness sake!”

Helge sat remaining silent holding his ground like David would have done. 33 years later, Helge could still remember that day as if yesterday.

Claudia told the man, “I just wanted to see how you were doing. It may sound peculiar, but I...” She placed the book down in front of him, “The book from last year. Why did you give it to me?”

“I…” The man started, “thought… you may be the only one still in Winden who understands me.” Helge touched the book, “Time… is always with you. Wherever you go. You carry it in you. And it carries you. It sees and hears everything you do and say.”

Claudia asked, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Helge took in a breath through his teeth, “He said… it’s a battle between good and evil, between light and dark. That the travelers can undo everything that happens. If we succeed, it will all never happen.” Helge fought back his tears.

“Who said that,” questioned Claudia.

“Noah,” replied Helge.

Claudia asked, “Who is Noah?”

Helge’s hand lurched out and grabbed onto her arm. He stared at her in the eye and said, “You mustn’t trust him. Never! Do you hear? Never!”

He started to hurt her without realizing. “Helge,” Claudia called to him. She had to rip his hand away.

“I’m sorry,” Helge looked down ashamed. He rocked himself back and forth to self sooth, “I didn’t want all this. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.”

Noah walked out of the church and put on his hat. He was getting ready to go to the Doppler’s.

Agnes looked around her to make sure she was not followed as she climbed down the stairs of the bunker to meet the elder Claudia.

The white haired lady asked her, “Did anyone see you?” Agnes shook her head. Claudia nodded and commented, “They sent Helge back today. Noah is back, too.”

Agnes shifted, “I’m not scared of him anymore.”

Claudia scoffed, “You carry the same blood.”

Agnes replied, “You can’t choose your family. Renouncing your blood means freeing yourself. You said so yourself.”

“Still,” Claudia said, thinking more of the grander scheme of things and how to place the pieces just right, “our family shapes our entire lives.” She watched Agnes nod as she continued, “Sic Mundus… They’re preparing the next cycle. In four days.” Claudia walked towards her, “Your brother is a blind fool. All the suffering he causes people. But it will have an end.” Claudia sighed and said, “You must give me this. Not now. There is still time.” Claudia handed the woman a newspaper article.

As she looked down at it, she looked up with a furrowed brow. “Today,” she asked.

Claudia nodded, “I wanted to thank you. For everything. My mother loves you, do you know that? She will make you happy if you let her.” Claudia held Agnes in a soft embrace before pulling away to go on with her business.

Tannhaus sat in his store working on the pocket watch for his granddaughter in 1987. Claudia walked in and stared at him. She placed her suitcase down as he slowly approached the woman.

“Are you H.G. Tannhaus,” she asked.

Tannhaus nodded then commented, “Heterochromia. One blue eye, one brown.”

Claudia looked down embarrassed. She pulled her book out of her pocket and asked him, “Did you write this book?”

“I wondered when the day would come,” He commented, “When we’d meet again.”

Claudia shook her head, “I don’t even know you.”

Tannhaus nodded, “But I know you. A never-ending cycle.”

Daniel, in 1954, shook his head, “Peculiar. And he didn’t talk? What do you make of it? He just turns up out of nowhere.”

“Maybe,” Egon commented, “They are unrelated after all. The madman who killed the children and the Doppler boy. How could he have done it? He’s been doing time for six months.”

Daniel made a face then shook his head, “Maybe he wasn’t alone?”

Egon asked, “You mean he has an accomplice?”

Daniel took a breath and said, “Visit the madman again.Maybe he’ll talk now. An accomplice. Yeah.”

In 1987, Egon visited Ulrich again and showed the man the vinyl. “I want to know what it all means,” he told the man. When Ulrich opened it up, Egon clarified, “These lyrics. You said those words to me in 1953. But this… It was only released last year. You said… you had a son yourself. Why did you murder the children?”

Ulrich handed the man the vinyl saying, “I didn’t murder the children. I wanted to save them.”

Egon set the vinyl down on the table and commented, “You said I was going to die. How did you come to learn that I have cancer? The White Devil? Who do you think that is?”

Ulrich laughed, “You’re more deranged than I am.”

Egon shook his head and asked, “Why did you never tell us what your name is? Who you are?”

“Ulrich,” he answered, “Ulrich Nielsen. And I come from the future.” This rang a few bells in his head. He went into Michael Kahnwald’s file and looked at the initial report which recorded the boy saying that he was Ulrich Nielsen’s son.

Tannhaus explained to Claudia, “I am what one would call a fraud. Have you ever heard of the bootstrap paradox? In the bootstrap paradox, an object or information from the future is sent back to the past. That creates a never-ending cycle in which the object no longer has any real origin. It exists without ever being invited. Put simply, this book traveled back in time. It found me before I even wrote it. It’s all a question of origin. Where is the beginning? When is the beginning? Is there a beginning at all? The world is full of such paradoxes. Only most of the time, we choose to look away. Don’t you want to tell me at last why you’re really here?”

Claudia looked towards the suitcase giving him a clue.

“You want to know how it works,” Tannhaus asked.

“How did you know what,” Claudia asked.

Tannhaus explained, “She told me you would turn up here one day and that I should explain the device to you. That is you, yourself. Your future self. The paradox is that a short time ago I wouldn’t have been able to explain it to you. But last year, someone else explained it to me. Another… time traveler. I think she knew it. She knew everything would happen again right up to the present moment. She knew that you would show up here for me to tell you, and therefore her, how the device works.”

In 1954, Greta explained to Noah, “I find him creepy. As if he were empty inside now, merely a husk. He was never the brightest child, but you could now believe him to be mindless. He scares me. And without Bernd at home, I don’t know how to deal with the situation. Perhaps the devil himself has possessed him. Please look at him and tell me everything is all right with him.”

Noah’s brow raised as he asked, “And he hasn’t said a word?”

Greta shook her head and walked to the side. She called her son down, “Helge. Come downstairs. Someone wants to talk to you.”

Helge ran and held the man seeing that it was Noah. Noah knelt down to him and said, “Time is always with you. Wherever you go. You carry it inside you. And it carries you. It sees and hears everything that you do and say.” He stood up and told the boy, “Your mother is worried about you. Shall we show her she has no reason to be?”

Helge nodded up at the man remembering that he agreed to follow the man so that he could possibly get to see David again.

Noah pointed out a verse in the Bible and told the boy, “I would like you to read this for me. Will you do that?”

Helge read aloud, “‘You are my protection, my shield. I hope for your word.’” This quote reminded him of the older boy. He had no idea that Noah was lying through his teeth about being able to see David again.

Surprised, Greta stepped towards Noah and whispered, “He speaks!”

Noah smiled and pet Helge’s head, “Give him a little time. I’m sure he’s just choosing his words with great care.” He lifted the small boy’s chin to look up at him, “You can keep it.”

“Why don’t you stay a while,” Greta pleaded with the man.

Noah held her hands and told her that Helge was a miracle. He turned and walked away. He walked back to his church to see that Agnes sat in the pews. He asked the woman, “What do you want? Did Claudia send you? If you think Adam will let you back in, you’re wrong. You picked your side. There’s no salvation for you.”

Agnes walked towards him and said, “I know where the final pages are. I also know how long Adam’s been looking for them. Don’t you think he’d do anything to get them?”

“I don’t believe a word you say,” Noah commented, shaking his head, “She would never have told you where they are.”

Agnes took out the news article and handed it to him, “Claudia has them on her.” She watched as he saw the sketch of Claudia staring back at him, “In return, I want you to tell Adam I want to come back. Before the new cycle begins.”

Noah looked up at her, “You’re sacrificing her?”

Agnes touched the man’s cheek, “You can’t hate your own sister the way you hate her.” She looked down then said, “Consider it a peace offering.”

Agnes walked away with Noah watching after her.

Something bugged Egon about this case. He stared at Ulrich’s picture as if something was missing. Soon he received a guest. A fragile looking old woman sauntered into his office and sat down. She just stared at him for a while taking in how he looked.

Claudia finally spoke after he compared her to her younger self, “You’re too good of a person. But you always have been.” She started to cry, “The world doesn’t deserve you.” When he asked if she knew him, she replied, “I am here because I have to tell you something. I’m sorry.”

“What are you talking about,” Egon asked.

Claudia explained, “Everything. You don’t deserve any of this. But sometimes the good ones get hit the hardest.”

“I don’t understand,” He said.

Claudia nodded, “You will one day. And then I want you to know that I’m sorry that things turned out the way they turned out.”

Egon started to become impatient, “Either you tell me this instant what this is all about or I’ll ask you to leave immediately.”

“I’m sorry,” Claudia told him, “I really am.” She turned away and thought about how one simple person could make such a difference in this world that would leave only pain and destruction behind.

In 1987, Claudia walked through her work. She got news that her father was there and rushed to her office. She placed her bag down and asked, “Why are you here? Why didn’t you call first?” Egon tried to assure her that it wouldn’t take long but she interrupted him, “This is a really bad time. You can’t just show up here. Why don’t you make an appointment with my secretary that suits us both? Next week for example.”

“I have cancer,” Egon blurted out to her. When Claudia turned surprised at him he explained, “Prostate. I didn’t want to upset you. But now the cancer has spread. And I thought it’s best for you to know that.”

“I…” She shook her head, “I don’t know what to say.”

Egon nodded, “It’s okay. I just wanted you to know. I’ll be on my way then. I’m sure you have loads to do here.” He turned to leave, but stopped when Claudia called to him. He froze for a second when Claudia held him close. She hadn’t done that in so long.

In 1954, Claudia turned when Egon kissed her head. She happily exclaimed, “You’re back!” She held her father close but for some reason, something or someone felt missing.

“Hello, my precocious princess,” Egon greeted her with a smile. He looked around and asked, “Where’s Mom?”

Claudia looked down and shrugged not wanting to tell him.

Egon placed the flowers he got his wife on the table and sat next to Claudia. He had a weird sense of deja vu happening, “Can you keep a secret?”

Claudia smirked and nodded at her father.

Egon explained, “I think I saw a witch today.”

Excited, Claudia smiled, “There are no witches.”

“There are,” he exclaimed, “This one was very real.”

His daughter asked him, “How did she look?”

“Long white hair,” Egon started to describe, “Like in books.”

Claudia giggled and asked, “And what did she say?”

Egon shook his head, “That she was sorry.”

“That doesn’t sound like a witch,” Claudia explained.

Egon laughed and asked, “How’d you know? You’ve never seen one.”

Claudia blushed then looked at the flowers on the table, “Are those for Mom?”

Egon looked at them and nodded, “Yeah.”

“You’re too good a person, Dad,” Claudia told him, “The world doesn’t deserve you.” He sat back with his brow furrowed prompting Claudia to ask, “Is everything okay?”

Egon nodded, “Yeah.” He smiled, “Just deja vu.”

In 1987, the same man explained, “I used to think the worst thing that could happen to a person in life is to lose your own child. But we can’t do anything about that. No matter how hard we try to hold on to them, they still leave, sooner or later. Parents… Children… They only share a common path for a part of their lives. In the end, they are miles away from one another. Last winter, a boy came to Winden. A stranger. He said something peculiar to me at the time. It makes no sense, but…” Egon sighed, “Maybe my cancer is already driving me crazy.” He took out the picture of Michael and showed it to Ulrich, “Do you know this boy?”

Ulrich looked at the picture of Mikkel staring straight at him. He looked up at Egon and asked, “he’s here?” Egon nodded causing Ulrich to yell, “Where is he?! You knew he was here? You knew the whole time? Where is he?” He grabbed onto the other man’s throat and begged, “Where is he?”

Egon started to scream, scaring the other patients. Nurses soon pulled Ulrich away from the man and Egon struggled to catch his fleeting breath once more.

The bell in Tannhaus’ shop rang causing the man in 1954 to explain, “I’m closed for the day.” He was bent over his desk working on the time machine based on the plans the woman had given to him. He turned around to see her and he stood, “It’s you! I… It’s not ready yet.”

She smiled, “It will take another 33 years before it’s ready.”

Tannhaus explained, “This thing… The blueprint… I don’t really understand what it is.”

Claudia walked to him and handed him his book, “All our lives we wonder what our journey will be. This is yours. Keep it. I don’t need it anymore.”

The man shook his head and asked, “Why are you giving it to me?”

“I’ll be dead soon,” Claudia explained, “You will understand one day. Then we will meet again.”

Tannhaus nodded and asked, “Before you die?”

Claudia shook her head, “No after that.”

“How… How can that be possible?”

Claudia explained, “Time is just an illusion. Then you’ll have to explain the device to me.”

Tannhaus called after her, “But I don’t know what it’s for. Why don’t you tell me what it’s for?”

She smiled, “Because you told me someone else explained it to you. Things take their courses as they always have.”

Tannhaus shook his head, “No, I didn’t tell you anything. No one explained anything to me.”

“Not now,” she explained, “but in the future. All this will come to an end soon. But until then everything must remain as it always has been.”

“Wait, please,” the man begged her and walked behind her. But she left him there to do his work.

Young Helge prayed at night with the penny clasped in his hand. Egon stared at the Kreator vinyl slowly realizing his mistake all those years ago. Ulrich stared at the picture of his son. Young Egon slowly descended down the stairs to catch his wife with Agnes. Claudia stood in the caves and started up her machine for the first time.

The older Claudia walked to the cabin when Noah’s voice rang through the trees, “You thought you could trust her. She betrayed you. She didn’t even bat an eye.” He cocked his rifle and pointed it at her, “You took everything from me. You’re going to die. And everything you stand for will die with you.”

Claudia shook her head, “I know that I’m going to die. But am I going to lose this match? Or is here, our meeting, you and your gun, only part of a game you still don’t know how to play?”

“You think you can manipulate me with your words,” Noah told her, “I am no longer one of your pawns.”

She replied, “But you’re still one of Adam’s. The paradise he’s promising you is nothing but a lie. He’s selling you the illusion of freedom. Ask yourself if you are really free. If you were really free, you’d have a choice. Do you have a choice?”

Noah lowered his gun for a second, but shot her anyway.

Agnes looked over to her son to make sure he was still asleep. She took out the news article that explained Claudia’s death and where it happened. She knew that it must have happened now because it was still with her.

Noah searched the body and found the last pages. He slowly looked through them and realized that Adam had been lying to him for all of these years about what had happened to Charlotte. He felt as though he was going to vomit.

The sun slowly arose the next day in 2020. Claudia walked to her old house and started to spy as Adam explained to his followers, “No matter how much we want to fight it, we are all connected through our blood.” Claudia watched as Annalise helped Regina through her house to the back patio. When Claudia saw Regina remove her scarf to show that she was bald, she started to cry. Adam continued to explain, “We can be alienated from our families, and not understand their actions. Still, in the end, we would do anything for them. A common thread that connects all of our lives with each other.”

The man turned to reveal the board behind him with the five families on it. In the four corners were the Kahnwalds, The Dopplers, The Tiedemann’s, and the Nielsens. There in the middle was the Dahlhiem’s family photo. He asked Noah, “Did she have the pages on her?” Noah took a deep breath and lied to the man. Adam nodded and told Noah, “She got what she deserved.” He turned back to the board and said, “In the end, we all get what we deserve.”


	14. Chapter 14

Jonas shot up in a field. He felt like a fish out of water. He took large breaths. He, then, buried his radiation suit. He couldn’t get too far though due to the bullet still wedged in his leg. He doubled over in pain and spit up. He watched as his coughing carried it to the ground. Two farmers approached him and started to question him, but his foggy mind couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. He blinked and looked at them, “I just want to go home.”

His mind started to clear as one said, “Maybe a returned POW?”

The other one spoke directly to Jonas and commented, “Looks like you’ve been roughed up. I guess you could use something to eat.”

Jonas shook his head, “I’m fine, thanks.”

“Nonsense,” One of the farmers tol him, “Erna has a soft spot for fellas like you. Come along.”

Jonas ended up following the men gathering stares along the way. He stared at his surroundings feeling ill. He started to slowly realize what time period he might be in when the horse-drawn buggy passed with a small coffin. When they reached the inn, a small girl sat on its steps carving the end of a stick.

The farmer looked down at her and said, “Agnes, go and let Erna know. Run.”

The girl ran to go get the woman that they had asked for as they led him inside. It wasn’t long before a bowl of stew was placed in front of the boy. The smell hypnotized him. He had no idea how hungry he actually was until it was in front of him. He thanked the woman and then hurriedly shoveled the food down his throat.

“So,” the farmer asked, “Where were you stationed?”

Jonas slowly looked up from his food. He shook as he lied, “Eastern front.”

The farmer nodded, “labor camp.”

The other commented, “Those people aren’t human. We should have won the war.”

His shaking didn’t stop. His fear grew stronger every second he was there. Erna walked and placed beer in front of the men. She asked Jonas, “Do you have a place to sleep?” He looked up unable to speak. At his silence, she turned to Agnes and told her, “Go and tell your brother to get the chamber ready. He should be back with Johannes by now.” She looked at him and told him, “But just for a few days. Until you are back on your feet.”

Jonas’s lips trembled. His brow furrowed at the similar name. He started to slowly wonder. But he nodded at the woman. He commented, “I know this sounds strange, but what year is it?”

Erna commented, “They did quite a job on you, didn’t they? 1921.”

Back in 2020, it was 3 days until the apocalypse. Martha dreamed of Jonas and her’s first time and how he told her, “I think we’re a perfect match. Never believe anything else.” He slowly lowered himself again to kiss her causing Martha to shoot up. There sitting on her bed was Annalise. The girl stared at her. Martha turned ignoring her as if she were simply a figment of her imagination. She started to cry. Annalise tilted her head and held her hand out to dry her tears only for Martha to hit her hand away. Martha screamed at her, “What are you doing here?! Haven’t you done enough?!”

Annalise’s lips trembled trying to fight back tears. She nodded and stood up, “I’m sorry I’ve caused you so much pain. I promise it will all be over soon.” She turned to walk out. The teenaged girl felt something hit her back hard, but she refused to turn around to hear what had made a loud thump onto the floor.

Angry, Martha grabbed a book from besides her bed and threw it at the other girl. She watched as Annalise froze when the book hit near her waist. The whole girl started to shake, but she still refused to look back at her. Martha instantly regretted the moment as soon as Annalise was down the stairs, but instead of trying to chase after her best friend, she screamed. She tore at her hair as giant tears rolled down her face. She not only had isolated herself from her family and her boyfriend...now her last friend. Annalise was probably the only person who could really understand how she was feeling. She was probably there to try and reconnect and to try to be there for each other, but instead she just pushed her away… Just like everyone else.

Clausen stared at the evidence board at the sketch of the Stranger. Woller walked in and informed the man, “Mrs. Doppler called in. She’s sick.”

Clausen asked, “What’s wrong with her?”

“She didn’t say,” Woller told him then went to close the door again.

“Hold on,” Clausen told the other man. Woller opened the door once more. Clausen asked, “You are Mr. Woller, right?”

“Yes,” the man responded.

Clausen turned and said, “Then the pleasure is ours today. You do have a car, right?” When Woller nodded, he responded, “Wonderful.” He walked out with the other man who was dazed in confusion.

Charlotte continued going through her grandfather’s things trying to put everything together. Then she found the blueprints. Right when she did, she got a call from Hannah.

The older Jonas walked down the stairs still shirtless from his shower as Annalise tried to rush past him. He grabbed onto her and asked, “Darling, what happened?” He knew that face well enough now to know she was holding an army of sadness behind her eyes. He noticed her wince when his hands traced her sides. His brow furrowed and lifted her shirt to try and find what was going on. He knelt down to inspect the area better.

Annalise yelped at his touch. She turned her head away from his concerned face. She couldn’t look at him. The girl knew if she were to, she'd blabber about what had happened and just spill everything on the floor ruining everything she was trying to do.

“What’s this,” He looked up at her motioning to her bruising near her waist. He blinked as his heart raced. Tears filled his eyes. It was right near… He shook his head and looked up at her. He demanded, “Hey, what is this?”

“Nothing,” Annalise replied curtly. She looked down at him with a glare to try to solidify her attitude with him, but seeing his face made her soften. She let her hand down to caress his face. She watched as he leaned into her hand and she asked, “What is it Jonas? Tell me what’s bothering you.” She lowered herself into his lap.

Jonas wrapped his arms around her. He buried his face into her neck, “I’m so sorry Lise. I’m so sorry I always choose her. Please forgive me.” His tears started to make her neck slick. “I just want you to know how much I love you,” he whimpered into her, pulling her close, “Please don’t leave me.”

Annalise forced a smile. She pulled him away so that he could look at her in the eye, “Oh my love. I’ll never leave you. Don’t forget that you were the one who told me that.” She wrapped her arms around him and held him for a second.

He nodded as he held her close. He eventually let go and he watched as she placed a gentle kiss against his lips before walking up the stairs to go take a nap. He shadowed her movements holding onto her hand until he couldn’t any longer due to the fact she was going up the stairs and he was staying down. He sighed as he watched her go. His stomach grumbled. He walked to the fridge, grabbed himself a mug of milk, and walked over to the table. He looked at the picture of him and his family there. The man opened the small box next to it and found the gun. His heart started to race. His panic rose. The movement down the stairs made him turn his head to look at Hannah coming down the stairs. He held it out towards her and kept his voice low as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear, “Where did you get this?”

Hannah stared at him as he started to panicky look more in the box. He found the passport. She approached her son and tried to comfort him.

“Who is this,” his voice demanded.

Hannah lowered it and told him, “It’s complicated.” She put it back into the box and closed it.

“Mom, why do you have that,” Jonas demanded to know.

Hannah avoided the question and asked him, “Should I make us breakfast?” She turned and started to make food for them.

Martha looked up at the ceiling with her brother as they sat on the couch, “What are we going to do about Mom?”

Magnus shrugged, “I don’t know.” The doorbell rang prompting Magnus to go to the door to answer it. “What do you want,” he asked Franziska.

Franziska stormed into the house followed by Elisabeth and acknowledged his sister, “Martha.”

Martha nodded, “Franziska.”

Magnus asked again, “What do you want?”

The girl turned to the boy, “We have to talk.” She led Magnus away so that they could talk in private.

Elisabeth turned and smiled at Martha. She gave the older girl a small wave.

When Magnus and Franziska were properly away, he whispered to her, “What?”

“If you expect an apology, forget it,” she scolded him, “you fucked up. But I shouldn’t have said what I said. We’re even.” She held out her hand to him as a sign of truce.

Martha interrupted and asked, “Am I supposed to babysit while you two make out?”

“Why did you bring her along,” Magnus asked Franziska.

Franziska sneered at him, “My parents haven’t been home in two days. I can’t leave her alone.” She turned toward Martha then asked the group, “Why is everyone acting so weird?”

Magnus turned to his bag and grabbed the map out of it. He grabbed his bag as well as he approached the group again, “I want to know what’s up.”

Martha shook her head, “What? You want to go into the caves?”

Magnus put on his bag and told her, “You can stay here.”

Martha looked around for a second debating what she was going to do.

Jonas sat up gasping for breath. He reached for his neck to feel it covered and looked down to see his leg was also bandaged up. He panted then heard another boy’s voice.

“You slept nearly 24 hours,” the young Noah commented.

Jonas panted and asked him, “Who are you?”

Hanno was cleaning under his dirt covered fingernails with a knife. Instead of addressing the question he said, “People say Erna can’t say no to any stray dogs.” He looked up at the boy.

Jonas shook his head and told himself, “I’m in the wrong place.” He looked up at Hanno and said, “This isn’t right.”

He tilted his head and scoffed. He furrowed his brow then relaxed again, “I pictured you differently.” He stood up and started to walk away.

“Why did you just say that,” Jonas asked, “What does it mean?”

Hanno turned unimpressed with Jonas. Then gave him a small smirk and left.

This caused Jonas to study the room. He ended up limping to the wall. There was a picture there with writing. He limped over to read it. Words stuck out at him forcing him to read them aloud, “‘Sic Mundus Creatus Est!’” Jonas looked around him and grabbed the spare clothes. He looked back at the picture knowing what he needed to do. He grabbed the flint, steel, and lantern then headed out.

Agnes looked up from her sweeping at him as he limped away.

Jonas limped through the town trying to make his way towards the caves, but there was another rumble growing from his stomach. There was a delicious smell of baking bread. His legs listened to his gut bringing him in front of the bakery. He looked inside seeing a familiar looking girl around his age rushing around helping her family. Sweat was beaded against her forehead as she opened more of the windows to let the heat out. When she opened the window, she was left face to face with the boy. Slowly it dawned on him when they made eye contact. Her eyes were the exact same. “Annalise,” He whispered questioningly at the girl.

The girl smiled. Her smile reminded him more of his which confused him. She spoke in a sing-song voice, “Hello there stranger. Looking for some food? I think my Johannes told me that you were staying with Erna.” She giggled and reached towards a shelf and handed the boy a loaf of bread, “Now you better shoo off before Hanno or Johannes catch you looking at me like that. Those two are closer than any two boys I’ve ever seen and they would both be angry if they caught you staring.”

Right then, another slightly familiar face walked over. He had a very stern looking face. He seemed cold and distant. More like the moon versus the girl being sunny and warm. Yet something nagged at him. Why was he so familiar? The boy his age smiled once he saw the girl. That’s when Jonas put together the dots. His smile reminded him of a gorgeous sunset. His throat became dry as he heard the boy speak, “Hey there Annalise? How are you doing, love?”

The girl giggled and said, “Very well Johannes. I was just talking to the fellow here. I cannot believe you’ve already started to spread rumors about me with him. That isn’t very nice you know.”

Johannes shook his head, “I have done no such thing. I haven’t even introduced myself to em yet.” He turned to Jonas and held out a hand. His face became stoic again. That’s where her grandfather got it from, Jonas reasoned with himself. “Johannes Dahlheim. It is very nice to meet you sir. Miss Boker is taking real good care of you I see.”

She leaned out the window and giggled, “Johannes lay off of him. He’s just getting back on his feet. You know maybe he can help you and Hanno out with what you two are doing since…”

Johannes sent the girl a glare then looked back at Jonas. Jonas looked between the two of them. He swallowed hard realizing more of who he just met. He bowed his head and said, “Thank you. It was nice meeting you. I should go.”

The girl smiled, “Please stay safe.” She started to untie the top of her dress and cowl to let out some of her heat. The Tree of Life necklace glistened in the light causing Jonas to stop and turn. He stared at it. It looked no older than when it was with Annalise. That was strange.

The girl blushed at the boy’s attention and said, “It was a gift from the church.” She gently placed a hand over it and commented tenderly, “A nice man gave it to me to celebrate Johannes and I’s soon-to-be marriage.”

Jonas nodded and turned, “Oh. Well. Thank you.” He limped his way back towards the caves again taking a bite off the loaf of bread.

In 2020, Claudia walked to the power plant. She tried to get in but was very confused on how to get in. When she spoke to the gentleman up front he explained to her that there was only one Tiedermann that worked there and his name was Aleksander Tiedemann.

Clausen sat with the man in his office. He asked, “So that’s why you didn’t want to let Ulrich Nielsen onto the grounds?”

Aleksander explained, “After Fukushima safety standards were raised. I can’t just let anyone stroll in here. His suspicion that his son might be on the grounds was totally unfounded.”

“You know about the door in the caves,” Clausen asked leaning forward.

Aleksander nodded, “It was installed in the 1980s. It was already welded shut back then, as a security measure. It’s still sealed shut.”

Clausen looked at the man, “You know what I find strange? Everyone who was born here stays. Seems odd, in a town of this size. What do you think? Why is that?”

Aleksander threw up his hands, “The nuclear power plant always took care of people. There’s work. Prosperity, security. That’ll probably change now.” He stood up seeing Clausen mess with his laptop. He walked towards the officer and continued, “When the plant closes.”

Clausen picked up the picture of the Tiedemann’s all together and said, “You’re not from here.”

“No,” Aleksander replied, “Why?”

“You came to Winden in 1986,” Clausen told the man, “At the same time the boy disappeared. Mads Nielsen. Ulrich Nielsen’s brother.”

Aleksander replied, “No. It was a bit later. A few weeks. Why does that matter?”

Clausen looked up and smiled, “It probably doesn’t.” He put the picture away. He was just about to leave before he turned and spoke to Aleksander again, “Just one more question, Why did you take your wife’s name?”

“I don’t understand,” He asked.

Clausen tilted his head to the side in a half shrug, “Pretty unusual for the time.”

“The Tiedemanns shaped this town,” Aleksander replied, “Especially Regina’s mother. Regina has no siblings. We wanted to keep the name alive.”

“What’s your real name,” Clausen asked the man.

“Kohler,” He replied, “Aleksander Kohler.”

Clausen’s mouth twitched and he asked, “Who’s next on the list?”

Woller looked at the notebook and said, “Hannah Kahnwald and Annalise Dahlheim.” Clausen looked at the man confused until Woller explained, “Annalise has stayed with her since Ulrich’s son went missing.”

Clausen nodded and walked out without another word.

Jonas asked his mother, “Why do you have a gun and someone else’s passport?”

“It’s insurance,” Hannah explained.

“What do you mean,” Jonas asked.

Hannah waited for a moment hearing Annalise scream in her sleep. She looked at her son and told him, “Someone needs to keep both things hidden.”

Jonas pushed himself away from the counter he was leaning on and asked her, “You’re blackmailing someone? Who are you?”

“Who am I,” Hannah sighed to herself listening to the younger girl thrash upstairs in her sleep. She looked up at him and asked, “Who are you?”

Charlotte called Hannah. She knocked on the door. Jonas put his finger towards his lips to make sure Hannah was quiet as he peeked out the window.

Hannah stood up and looked at her son, “I’m sorry. But we have to tell someone more than the girl up there.” Jonas started to look around. He wasn’t ready for this. Hannah answered the door and walked Charlotte inside, “Thanks for getting here so soon. I know none of this makes sense, but… This is Jonas. He… He’s much older and he knows where my Jonas is and where Ulrich is.”

Charlotte stared at him and approached him. She reached into her jacket and told him, “You’re the man from the hotel Regina talked about.” She held out the picture of Sic Mundus to him and asked, “Who are these people?” Jonas looked at the picture and Charlotte pointed out the specific person she wanted to know about, “That man. The priest. Do you know who he is?”

“That’s Noah,” Jonas replied.

Her face contorted for a second, “You know him? What do you know about him?”

He shook his head, “He’s one of them.”

Hannah asked, “What is all this?”

“One of whom,” Charlotte asked. She listened to the girl upstairs and looked towards Hannah, “Is she okay?”

Hannah nodded, “Nightmares.”

Jonas waited for Annalise to settle again before he told Charlotte, “Sic Mundus. The travelers.”

“The travelers,” She asked, “Sic mundus creatus est?”

Hannah asked, “What are you talking about? You knew all of this? The time travel?”

Charlotte turned to Hannah and said, “There’s something you should both see.”

The rest of the group of teens walked to the caves. Magnus started to hand out supplies prompting Elisabeth to ask Franziska, “You want to go in there? After four kids disappeared here?”

Franziska sighed. She looked around debating what to do before signing back to her sister, “You stay with me. Do what I tell you. Okay?”

Elisabeth nodded and followed the older teens as Magnus led them inside the cave.

Claudia walked to the library to search for the answers she needed. She looked around and asked for help. She was a bit confused by the tablet in front of her, but luckily she was able to ask for help from a girl not too far away. First she looked herself up to learn that she never really showed back up in her time.

Clausen opened up the glove compartment and commented, “You informed her about the meeting?”

“Yes,” Woller nodded.

Clausen asked, “Anything about Hannah Kahnwald?”

Woller shifted awkwardly as the girl who sat in the backseat stared at them, “Her husband killed himself last year. He hanged himself. Actually, no one here understood why she married him. She’s very pretty. She could’ve had any man she wanted.”

Annalise crossed her arms in the backseat and commented, “Maybe she had the man she wanted. Ever think of that?” She mumbled underneath her breath, “Asshole.” She tried to wedge herself closer to the door as if ready to leave the moment they said they were done.

Woller continued, “It was rumored she had an affair with Ulrich Nielsen.”

“Did Mrs. Nielsen know about it,” Clausen asked.

Woller shrugged then asked, “May I ask you something?”

Clausen looked towards Annalise in the back then looked back at the other man, “Go ahead.”

“How did you get this position,” Woller asked.

“He probably just asked for it,” Annalise commented, “Doesn’t seem you have much intelligence to work there.”

Woller glared at her. Clausen spoke, “Yes actually. I did.” He turned to the girl and asked, “Do you not know where she is?”

Annalise shook her head, “I get rather violent in my sleep so we keep different sleep schedules. She probably goes out while I’m sleeping so she doesn’t have to listen to me screaming.”

Clausen asked, “What caused that?”

“Probably the fact I have documented PTSD. It should be in your bullshit file on me already,” Annalise replied frustrated.

Clausen nodded, “So that is what prompted you to run away. With the Kahnwald boy, yes?”

Annalise nodded, “Yeah.”

Clausen pressed on her more, “So the argument was between you, Ulrich Nielsen’s daughter, the missing Kahnwald boy, and Aleksander Tiedemann’s son, correct?”

“That’s a rather weird way to describe the group of us, but I guess you aren’t wrong,” replied the girl.

Clausen nodded, “Were you close with the Tiedemann boy?”

Annalise’s brow furrowed, “Never particularly.”

The man turned to her, “So the reports of numerous students coming forward saying that the argument was actually more of a quarrel about the Nielsen girl and Kahnwald boy having an affair as well as you and the Tiedemann boy were false?”

“I wouldn’t call it an affair,” Annalise commented.

“But the reports are true,” Clausen asked with a raised brow, “But you said you were not close.”

Annalise glared, “He kissed me in a rush of emotions after finding out his girlfriend kissed his best friend and that she confessed her love for him. It’s as simple as that.”

Clausen nodded, “But did he ever confess any feelings towards you...even if you denied them?”

Her head shook in confusion, “What are these questions about? Are you a fucking pervert?”

Woller leaned over towards Clausen to try and intervene as well but Clausen raised up his hand and asked, “Is that a yes or a no, Miss Dahlheim?”

Annalise shook her head and lied, “Even if he did, which he didn’t. It would be because he was experiencing stress.”

“Don’t you find it strange that you were the only one to come back,” He commented, “His girlfriend’s father is gone, the boy she cheated on him with is missing, you went missing and now you are miraculously back?”

“You aren’t seriously implying Bartosz has anything to do with this, are you,” She questioned back. She was getting more and more angry and frustrated.

Hannah stared at the wall of evidence and connections in the bunker. She slowly started to see just how big this knotted situation was. Everyone was completely silent. Jonas, Charlotte, and Peter all looked at each other before Peter spoke up, “She told Tronte and me what to do. Claudia Tiedemann. She knew the exact time things would happen. It made no sense. And yet it was the only thing that made sense.”

Hannah turned and asked, “You knew all this? Michael? Mikkel? Ulrich? You knew it all?”

Peter turned to the notebook and said, “It’s all here.” He handed Jonas the notebook, “She gave it to us. It’s all in there. About the children… Who disappeared when. Things about time travel. Symbols and tables we really don’t understand.”

Jonas looked up and commented, “The last few pages were ripped out.”

“Does Katharina know about this,” Hannah asked. The couple took in a deep breath alerting Hannah to knowing they did not. She shook her head, “You have to tell her.”

Jonas looked at Peter who looked to his wife. Charlotte nodded in agreement, “Okay. But I’ll do it.”

Claudia looked up her daughter next to see all the updates on her life that she had missed. She looked at the wedding article about Regina and Aleksander. Then she looked at her daughter’s hotel opening then subsequent closing. After that, she looked up her own father. She eventually got to the article that told her of her father’s death. That he was found dead in his apartment in 1987. Claudia sat back and knew she didn’t have much time.

The sun lit the way for our Jonas as he made his way to the mine. He was breathing heavy after the excursion of trying to get there on his hurt leg. He, then, made his way in.

“Sometimes I dream of him,” Martha admitted, “Jonas. It feels so real.” Everyone looked at her wondering why she was sharing this now, but no one exactly stopped her so Martha continued, “As if he were still alive. How can it feel so real if he’s dead?”

Franziska asked, “Do you think he knew something? Before he disappeared?”

“What do you mean,” Martha asked.

Franziska’s voice shook as she explained, “Like maybe he found out something he wasn’t supposed to.”

Magnus didn’t like where this was going and he wanted to avoid the topic of Annalise coming up so he interrupted, “The door should be this way.” He started to lead the group away. He started to question again just how much his friends knew and what exactly Annalise knew that was making her act so strange.

Martha stood there starting to put together pieces of an incomplete puzzle. Her body trembled thinking about it slowly realising that they were either going to have to confront Annalise or Bartosz to actually try and get a clearer picture.

Jonas struck the flint and steel together creating a spark for the lantern to light. He raised the wick and started on his journey once more.

Annalise closed the door to the car fairly rough. She stormed her way back into the house and told the officers that she’d call them if Hannah came back. As soon as they were gone and out of sight, she locked up the Kahnwald house and jogged to the convenience store to grab a soft drink for herself. Memories flooded back to her as she jogged. One side of her, her father jogged with her, on the other Ulrich jogged. When she stopped at the store, she watched as the foggy form of Ulrich continued to jog to his home like he often did.

Katharina asked Charlotte, “Where are we going?” Growing annoyed at the woman’s silence, she demanded, “Tell me where we’re going. Damn it, Charlotte! Where are we going?”

Charlotte, annoyed as well, stated, “It’s easier to explain it if I show it to you.”

“Have you found them,” Katharina asked, holding back tears. Charlotte sighed, prompting the other woman to nod, “You did find them.”

Charlotte nodded, “We found them. Both of them. They’re not dead. They are alive.” Katharina started to cry. This broke Charlotte’s heart. She hit her steering wheel and stated in pain, “But they’re not here!”

Katharina’s brow furrowed, “What does that mean? They’re alive, they’re not here?”

Charlotte fought back empathic tears, “You better see it with your own eyes.”

When they got to the bunker, Peter and Hannah were first to greet Katharina. The blonde looked at Charlotte and asked, “What is she doing here? What is this Charlotte?”

“You said you thought Mikkel was in the cave,” Charlotte explained as the older Jonas sat by silently, “You were right. Mikkel was in the cave, and Ulrich was looking for him there.” Katharina pushed past Charlotte to start and look at the walls. The officer continued, “But there was something in the caves. A kind of… Crack in time.”

Katharina turned and looked at all of them, “Are you screwing with me?” But when she saw the serious looks on all their faces she asked, “What is all this bullshit? Where are Mikkel and Ulrich?”

“Katharina, it’s true,” Hannah tried to speak up.

Katharina turned, “Shut your fucking face. No one asked for your opinion.”

Jonas stood up to drag some of the attention away from his mother, “Charlotte is right.”

“Another one,” Katharina asked looking at the man, “Who are you? Her new lover?”

“I’m Jonas,” he replied, “Her son. Your grandson.”

Katharina started to laugh at him.

The young Jonas limped his way towards the door as the other group of teens made their way through the caves. Elisabeth felt started to notice everything shaking as they walked. She alerted her sister then knelt down to feel if that was indeed the case. Magnus soon followed suit to also confirm just in case.

Martha looked up and asked, “What was that?”

Magnus looked up and said, “There’s someone there.” He pushed them back towards the entrance, “Go. Go.”

Martha peeked around the wall of rock that they were hiding behind. She watched as the light started to emerge from the darkness. It took a second for her eyes to adjust to see Bartosz walking from deeper within the caves carrying a suitcase. She stepped out and pointed her light at him, “Bartosz?”

Bartosz groaned and covered his eyes to protect him from the light. As his eyes slowly adjusted, he lowered his arm to see the group.

Magnus rushed up to the other boy and grabbed him. “Why are you here,” he growled at the boy.

“What the hell,” Bartosz asked as he was tackled onto the ground and held down by the older boy. Bartosz struggled against his grip.

“What are you doing here,” asked Martha.

Annalise slowly approached the bunker as Katharina asked, “My husband is caught in the 1950s and my son in the 1980s? You left him there because Mikkel is your father, right?” Annalise opened the bunker door and slowly made her way down the stairs.

She ignored the confused stares and said, “Don’t worry. I closed the door.” She pointed then looked at the group again, “All of you can continue.” She handed Katharina a bottled beer and left the rest of the bag on the ground for everyone to pick things out of it.

Katharina raised her hands and told everyone, “I can’t believe it. That you’re buying all his bullshit. What do you want? Huh? Money?” She started to approach him angrily then noticed Annalise starting to get in between the two of them, “Her?” Katharina grabbed Annalise’s arm and pulled the girl behind her, “Can you talk to the dead too? Hm?” She started to walk away with Annalise, “I knew leaving you with her was a fucking mistake. Look what’s come of you. I bet they are using you. Is that why you actually ran away? Come on. Let’s go home.”

“Katharina,” Hannah called to the woman, “I was there. I saw him. Mikkel.”

Katharina’s face contorted in rage. She let go of Annalise and approached Hannah. She shook her head and told them, “You’ve all lost it.” She turned to see Annalise rooted herself into the ground. If anything, Annalise only moved back towards the rest of the group. The woman shook her head, “Whatever. You aren’t my kid anyway.” She turned and headed back out into the town once more.

The young Jonas panted heavily as he continued. He crawled his way through the small cavern until he reached the door. He opened it. There was no rush of air. He tried to crawl towards where the fork would be but there was nothing. There was only a wall. He shook his head, “No.” He started to hit at it hoping that maybe if he hit at it hard enough, he would be able to force his way home.

Elisabeth stared as the rest of the group interrogated Bartosz. She watched as they all grouped up to tie the boy down and Magnus punching him.

“If you have anything to do with this shit,” Magnus roared, “Fuck you!”

Bartosz groaned and Martha pulled her brother off. She knelt down and told the boy, “Stop it. Just tell us why you’re here.” Bartosz shook his head panting from the pain as Martha walked over to grab the bag they left abandoned. She opened the bag and told the rest of the group, “Come here.” They opened up the machine and stood up.

“What is that,” Franziska asked.

Magnus turned to Bartosz and asked, “What is that?”

Bartosz shook his head, “Hands off. It’s not your business.”

Magnus walked back over to him and knelt down, “If you have anything to do with Mikkel or my dad… or hell even Annalise… I’ll kill you.” He promised this with his entire soul. He started to slowly come to terms that Annalise was connected to them, but she was just probably an innocent victim like they were trying her best. He turned and asked, “What are we going to do now?”

“We’re taking it,” Martha said.

Magnus nodded towards Bartosz, “And him?”

“We’ll leave him here,” She said scornfully, “Maybe he’ll change his mind.”

Bartosz groaned, “Shit.” He tried to reason with them, “You can’t do that.” He listened as they packed up the bag. He tried desperately to call his ex girlfriend back to him, “Martha! You can’t do that! Hey...Fuck...Hey! Magnus! Hey! Magnus!”

Clausen looked at Woller and asked, “What’s your take on all of this? We have a man-eating cave. A Nuclear Power Plant with a boss who’s obviously hiding something. An inspector who has gone into hiding. A girl who is covering up something. And an entire town who lie, cheat, and betray one another. And who are all only concerned with concealing what’s really going on here. So, Mr. Woller? What do you make of it?”

Woller chuckled and shook his head, “I don’t know.”

Clausen looked at Woller and asked, “What happened to your eye?”

Woller nodded, “Okay, but you can’t tell anyone… Last summer…”

“Watch out,” Clausen yelled helping Woller swerve out of the way from hitting the woman with a suitcase in the middle of the road.

Claudia stared for a second before making her way into the woods once more.

“Interesting,” Clausen said while he watched her go.

Katharina stormed her way into the school to go check their claims. She went into the files and pulled the file for 1986. She found what class Michael was in and went to that book. She opened it up to find the picture of the class. There staring back at her was her son. There he was in 1986 just as they had said. She started to cry and caress her son’s image.

Jonas stumbled out of the cave to be greeted by Hanno, Johannes, and Annalise. He stared up at them taken aback.

“It’s not open yet,” Hanno explained. He tossed his apple to the side and explained, “Even with my friend here, it’s going to take 32 more years until it opens.”

Jonas spoke up, “So you all know about it?”

Hanno slid down the hill and approached the boy, “They're waiting for you.”

Jonas turned his head and asked, “Who? Them?” He motioned towards his Annalise’s great grandparents.

“Sic Mundus,” replied Hanno, “You want to go home, right? That’s what they say, anyway.”

Jonas asked again, “Who are they?”

Hanno rolled his eyes as Johannes slid down the hill as well. The boy whispered into Jonas’s ear, “The travelers.” Hanno walked away with Johannes first.

Annalise carefully walked down the hill. Jonas held his hand out helping her get down as well, “Thank you.” She smiled and walked with him. The boy was reminded how his Annalise always made sure he wasn’t alone either. He wondered just how much that was a family trait. She leaned towards him and whispered, “Please don’t mind Hanno. He’s been in quite a mood for a good while now since his father’s passing and the fortune teller girl left.”

“Huh,” He looked at her. She was a lot like her great granddaughter alright. Telling him things he didn’t necessarily ask for nor needed to know. But again, he was curious to see where this went.

She nodded, “Yeah. Really pretty girl. Had a smile just like my Johannes. Hanno and her were a bit inseparable for a good time while she was here. They were always whispering amongst each other and laughing about some inside joke.” She smiled and shook her head, “They always were firm that they were just friends. I believe them, but…” She looked at the boy and said, “You look at my Johannes just as the old man looked at her and Hanno and my Johannes look at each other. So I have to ask… Do you love him?”

Jonas blinked in surprise then looked at Johannes talking to Hanno then back at the 1921 Annalise. He shook his head vigorously, “No! No. I…” He whispered to her, “I don’t… He just reminds me of a girl I know.”

“Is that why you are trying to get back home,” She asked, “Do you love her?” Jonas shook his head, making her comment, “Well, your eyes say otherwise.” She smiled at him and said, “You know, I was the same way with Johannes. Then that girl told me that we were going to get married and have a beautiful baby boy. The way she spoke of it, it made me want to believe her… So… I did.”

Jonas nodded as he listened to the girl ramble. He wondered if that was a passed down trait as well. He chuckled to himself and asked, “So you think I love her?”

Annalise nodded, “Definitely. When you think about her, your eyes light up like the sky is full of stars. The corner of your lip twitches towards a smile. Any other time, you just seem sad… As if life won’t just let you die.”

Jonas nodded, “She does make me feel better, but there’s actually another girl I love…”

“But do you actually love her,” She asked him, “Or are you hoping for a life that your heart knows will never give you happiness… only a sense of safety and comfort?”

Jonas looked at her a bit shocked. He stopped and turned towards her completely to address her comment.

In 2020, the group in the bunker sat in a line. Older Jonas, then a bit of space between him and Annalise, then Hannah, Peter and Charlotte.

Peter spoke up first, “And what now?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jonas said, “Everything is going to happen as it always has.”

“Then why are you here,” Peter asked.

Jonas looked towards him and said, “He said there’s a loophole.”

“Who,” Hannah asked.

Annalise spoke up and said, “Adam.”

Charlotte shook her head and asked, “Who’s Adam?”

Jonas looked forward and told them, “The leader of Sic Mundus.”

“The person in the photo,” Charlotte asked, “The travelers?”

Jonas and Annalise both replied, “Yes.”

Jonas continued, “He wants the last cycle to begin. In three days. I have to stop him.” He looked forward determinedly. He stood up and walked now realizing the course he needed to take, “That’s why I’m here.” He nodded towards Claudia’s picture and commented, “She tried.” He turned and looked at Annalise, “But in the end, she became what she wanted to fight.” He walked out of the bunker.

Claudia walked out of the cave back in her own time.

The group of teens in 1921 arrived at the in construction church. Hanno looked at Jonas and then slid inside leaving the rest of the group. Jonas looked at the other two. Johannes nodded towards the door, basically telling him that they stop there. Jonas stared at them a little while longer as if trying to get a good remembrance of them. He then slipped inside as well. He followed Hanno then asked, “What are we doing here?” Hanno looked down and accused, “You’re one of them. A traveler.”

“Not yet,” Hanno replied. His eyes lit up and he said, “I will be soon.”

Noah opened the door and approached Jonas. He stared at him and said, “It must be strange for you to see me here. Especially after our last encounter.” Noah looked towards his younger self then back at Jonas, “You’ve already made my acquaintance.” Jonas looked at Hanno as Noah walked closer. The older man asked, “You finally want answers, don’t you?”

Bartosz struggled trying to get himself free screaming out for anyone to hear him. Katharina stared at her son in 1987 then back at her two children there with her. Franziska and Elisabeth came back home again to an empty house. Noah opened the door for Jonas to go inside the elevator with him to go down. Clausen wrote Aleksander Kohler on the board with a question mark as Charlotte, Peter, Hannah, and Annalise rose from the bunker. Hannah looked down towards the bunker while her young son looked around the cave before Sic Mundus’s entrance following the two Noahs. Claudia returned home to find Regina asleep on the couch. Jonas walked to the entrance of Sic Mundus leaving the young Noah behind.

Silja stared at the growling orb of swirling darkness. She walked away only for Elisabeth to point a gun at her. Silja took off her helmet and explained herself to Elisabeth. She demanded to know what it was.

“They say it’s a piece of God,” Elisabeth signed, “But it’s really a piece of the devil.”

The two Noahs stood in the waiting room with the fire going. “The prophecy,” Hanno asked, “How did it arise?”

Noah placed the last pages into the book and looked at his younger self.

Hanno asked, “The book, who wrote it?”

“Whoever it was who wrote it,” Noah told the boy, “had already seen the future and the past.”

Hanno walked towards him and asked, “What will happen next?”

Noah explained, “Adam will send him on the path that has been predetermined for him. So the last cycle can begin.”

Jonas staggered into Adam’s main office. He looked around. There was the painting of ‘The Fall of the Damned’ above the mantle. Something comforting arose in Jonas. He could almost see his Annalise dancing around the books. Then sitting and reading with him. She would have loved this place. He stumbled to the desk with blueprints on it. He studied it for a moment before an elder man’s voice called to him, “You must have a lot of questions.” Jonas turned towards the scarred man approaching him. The man stopped and told the boy, “Traveling doesn’t leave one unscathed. The human body isn’t equipped for it on a continual basis.”

Jonas stared at him for a second then asked, “What is this place?”

Adam sighed and asked, “Shall we begin?”

“I don’t want to begin anything,” Jonas said, “I want this to finally end. All of it!”

Adam nodded, “Don’t worry. It will end. That is inevitable. Your end. My end. Upon closer examination, everyone’s end.”

Jonas thought for a moment. He looked at the man and asked, “Who are you?”

Adam slowly walked to him and asked, “Don’t you know?” Tears filled up in Jonas’s eyes as he watched Adam remove his collar and show the boy his hanging scars.

Jonas took a step back. Tears streamed down his face, “That can’t be.”

“I am you,” Adam told the boy, “Every stone is once again where it belongs. Everyone is in the place they were destined to be. All that’s needed is a little push.”


	15. Chapter 15

Older Jonas shot up from his nightmare seeing Annalise was sitting in the room texting. His heart slowly calmed seeing her so relaxed. She had bags beneath her eyes though from lack of restful sleep. He kicked his leg to the side and walked over to the girl and kissed her head. His nightmare was a memory of his and Martha’s first time slowly turning to the darkness that grew from her. He pressed his forehead against the girl’s neck and asked, “Did you get any sleep last night?”

The younger Jonas slowly woke up. His senses flooded with the feeling of Annalise next to him. Yet as he opened his eyes, he saw no such girl there. His broken heart dropped. He ran his hand against the pillow still disbelieving that his senses would cruelly trick him. There he found his evidence that she was once there. A strand of her hair danced around his fingertips as they dragged across the pillow. He slowly sat up holding it to the light just to make sure it was indeed hers. The corners of his lips fought in effort to give a small tender smile. Slowly, he resettled down into the warmth of her. His blue eyes twinkled in the lantern light as her familiar mild presence washed over him. His imagination wandered to a place where she was indeed next to him smiling and giggling with him. That all the pain was far far from his mind. He slowly let her last remains drop to the ground as he looked around the bed finally. This was something he pictured her liking. Its four poster frame was made of a dark wood reminding him of the forest she treasured so dearly. The bed itself was so fluffy and eloquent. It cupped the recipient in a warm cozy nest made of the mattress and warm blankets. Something befitting her. Everything about this place just radiated with remembrance of her. He jolted when he saw his older self sitting in the corner of the room staring at him.

“Isn’t it peculiar,” Adam started, “that one feels the greatest aversion towards the very people who are most similar to oneself?” He paused for a moment and stated, “You were thinking of her, weren’t you?” He remembered that feeling well. The time he was so in love with her yet refused to acknowledge it. The yearning that would grow and grow to slowly eat at him even now wanting nothing more for her to by his side through everything. Knowing deep in his heart that she was constantly on his mind and that any love he had to spare was immediately gobbled up by her greedy image buried deep in his very being.

Jonas stared at him and replied angrily after being taken from his delusion, “I want to know how to get back home.”

Adam stood up and walked in front of the bed. He stared at his younger self for a moment as he tried to instead picture her smiling face waking up to greet him. It wasn’t hard to do, yet it was just so painful to try and imagine so close to the end. Adam sighed and told the boy, “Get dressed.” He turned and left the boy there alone. He looked around the room to find his signature yellow jacket, khakis, and white shoes there for him to get redressed in.

There were only two days left until the apocalypse in 2020. The older Jonas put on his bag and headed down stairs to watch his mother sleep. He stood there for a moment before walking out of his house.

Katharina stared at the picture of her time lost son when she heard her older two children walk down the stairs. “Wait,” she called to them. She stood and walked to them, “I have to show you something.”

“We’ve got an appointment,” Martha told her mother before turning away.

Katharina urged them, “Maybe you’d better sit down.”

Magnus asked, “Can we do this some other time? We really have to go.”

“It’s… I…” Katharina struggled with the words but tried to walk closer to her children, “I have to tell you something. It sounds totally crazy, but I have to know what you think about it.”

Martha asked, “Are you nuts? You’ve hardly spoken to us for months and now you want to know what we think?!” She scolded her mother. The girl motioned around the house and said, “Look around you. We are the kids, but you’ve been acting like one for months!” The girl started to yell more, “Mom, you act as if you’re alone with this shit! But we lost them too!” She started to cry. When Katharina reached to wipe her tears away, Martha hit her hand away, “So you want to talk. That doesn’t mean we do too.” She stormed out of the house with Magnus close behind.

“Why is he so interested in the nuclear power plant,” Aleksander yelled over the phone, “Find someone at Criminal Investigation who knows this Clausen guy. What does he really want here? Call me as soon as you know something.” He hung up the phone.

Regina slowly stumbled through the house, “Bartosz isn’t here.” She informed her husband. He turned speechless causing Regina to continue, “His bed hasn’t been slept in. He wasn’t here all night.”

“Maybe he’s with Martha,” Aleksander tried to reason with her.

Regina shook her head, “They’re not together anymore.”

Aleksander slowly walked his way to his wife to try and calm her, “They must’ve made up… Or maybe he’s with Annalise. Have you called?”

Regina replied, “No one’s answering.”

Aleksander shrugged and told her, “I’m sure it’s nothing. Kids don’t answer their phones all the time.”

“Tell me it’ll all be fine,” Regina plead with her husband.

Aleksander nodded and held his wife, “Everything will be fine.”

In 1987, Ulrich calculated his escape plan to try and find Mikkel as Claudia sat in her office. She stared at the article before knowing what she had to do. She stood up after her secretary walked in and asked her to reschedule the French delegation before she left.

In 1921, Jonas stared at the painting before turning to his elder self. He asked, “Why am I here?”

Adam looked down, then back up at himself. “A person lives three lives,” He started, “The first ends with the loss of naivete. The second with the loss of innocence. The third with the loss of life itself. It is inevitable that we go through those three stages. You will turn into your older self, and your older self into what you see before you.”

Jonas stormed up to him, growling, “I don’t have time for this shit! I have to go back home. To my time! I’ve seen what will happen. I’ve seen their graves.”

“You have lots of time,” Adam told him, “This is the year 1921. Strictly speaking, you still have 99 years.”

Jonas looked down trying to calculate everything and what his next course of action should be.

In 1987, Ulrich’s snack arrived in his room which meant his plan was now needing to start. He hit the man over the head with pottery to knock him out then grabbed his card key to use it to get out of the gates and enter the real world again.

“You haven’t been here in a long time,” Egon told his daughter.

Claudia shook her head then nodded, “I just wanted to quickly check how you are.”

Egon smiled and nodded, “It’s good.” He could tell his daughter was thinking and hiding something from him from her guilty face and the way she was just so stiff. He asked his daughter, “Claudia? You do know that I’m proud of all you’ve accomplished. And your mother would be, too.”

Claudia started to feel tears well at the bottom of her eyes. She stood up to try to hide it from her father, “I’ve got to go.” She walked to the door quickly. She took in a deep breath then turned to her father, “The real reason I came was… I want you to move in with us. You wouldn’t be so alone. And Regina would be happy to see more of you.” Egon smiled at his daughter until she said, “Tomorrow would be best.”

“Tomorrow,” Egon asked his daughter, “You’re acting like I’m almost on my deathbed.”

Claudia sighed. She knew she couldn’t just tell her father why. She debated with herself before just telling her father, “Think it over. Alright?” She then left with her father watching confused.

Hannah sat at the table with Annalise helping arrange photo albums. Both of them looked a little worse for wear when they heard banging at the door. Hannah stood up to go grab the door. “Katharina,” she said as the blonde stormed into the house as if she were looking for something.

“Is he here,” Katharina asked, continuing to look around. When both of them looked at her with blank looks, she exhaustedly asked, “Jonas?”

Hannah shook her head, “He’s vanished. I have no idea where he is.”

When Katharina looked at the girl, she just shrugged and continued going on looking at the albums. Katharina shook her head at the zombie-like girl and turned to Hannah, “You said you saw Mikkel. You were there. How do I get to him?”

Hannah looked down at Annalise to see if she were going to interject then looked up at Katharina with a small shrug, “He has this sort of… device. I guess it’s like a...time machine.”

Katharina snorted. “A time machine,” she asked, shaking her head at them, “And do you know how it works?”

Hannah looked down at Annalise and then walked over to help the girl rearrange some of the pictures, “Even if I did, it wouldn’t help.”

Annalise’s exhausted husky voice grated through the air, “He took it with him.” Hannah pet the girl’s head. She leaned down and kissed her head while wrapping her arms around her from above. Annalise didn’t even look up. She just kept stacking the duplicate pictures into the middle of the table.

Katharina lifted one of them up and said, “He was always there. Right in front of me.” Hannah sighed as she slipped away from fully embracing the girl and just left a hand on her shoulder. The blonde shook her head and sneered, “I just can’t believe you slept with my husband and my son. But you always did want what belonged to me. You’re like a parasite.”

“Shut up,” Annalise whispered. Tears dripping down her depleted face.

Katharina, not hearing the girl, asked Hannah, “Did Ulrich ever actually tell you he loved you? In the end, he would always choose us.”

“Shut up,” Annalise screamed, gripping at her hair, “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” She stood up and threw the table as she did. She panted angrily when they all heard a knock on the door.

Hannah rushed to the door and opened it, “Hello.”

“Hello,” Clausen greeted, “You missed your appointment yesterday.” He walked in as Hannah apologized, seeing Katharina standing there with a teary faced Annalise and a flipped table. He continued staring at the situation in front of him as he commented, “Hard to believe you’d forget it when your own child is missing.” He walked more into the home and greeted Katharina, “Mrs. Nielsen.” He looked at the girl still trying to calm herself. Annalise was rubbing her own arms trying to self soothe as she rocked back and forth. Clausen looked back at Katharina and stated, “You were the last person I expected to see here. But since you’re here...” He took out a sketch of the older Jonas and asked, “Do you know who this is?” He looked at Annalise and said, “You can answer too. If you know him.”

Katharina stood between him and Annalise before Annalise got a chance to look up, “No. I don’t. Neither does she.”

Clausen looked at her and asked, “Why can’t she tell me that for herself?” He looked at the younger girl and then back at Katharina, “Mrs. Nielsen, if you don’t mind…” Katharina looked at Annalise and Hannah for a moment. She pulled the girl into a small hug, then left. Clausen then sat in the tableless chair and asked Hannah, “And you?” He showed her the sketch and asked, “Do you know this person?”

Hannah shook her head and told him, “No.”

Back at the Nielsen’s, Stranger Jonas wandered into the house. It was so messy and chaotic, as if looking straight into their state since Mikkel had disappeared from their lives. He walked into Martha’s room. It wasn’t much different from what he remembered. He turned to see a picture of he, Martha, and Bartosz hanging up next to a photo booth set of her and Annalise making funny faces and laughing. Everyone was so happy then. He sat on her bed and tried to debate his life.

“Do you want to know everything that will happen,” Adam asked his younger self, “I know when wars begin and end, what discoveries will be made in the years ahead, what shares I should invest in… But I don’t know what my counterpart will do as long as I haven’t seen his future.”

“But you know my future,” Jonas said confused, “You know what I’ll do.”

Adam nodded and tapped his fingers against his leg, “I am your future.”

Sadness and regret hit the boy. He shook his head and desperately tried to reason, “There must be a way to change it all. So things happen differently.”

Adam stated, “A loophole.” He took in a deep breath and told the boy, “It took me 66 years to find out how to find a way to escape this hell.”

The table screeched as Annalise lifted the table back up and rearranged everything. Clausen looked at Hannah and said, “I’ve been here almost a week and I get the impression no one is telling the truth. Everyone’s trying to hide something. Although I’m not sure if you’re all hiding the same thing or if everyone is trying to keep their own skeletons in the closet.”

Annalise walked into the kitchen and asked, “Coffee?”

Clausen shook his head and asked, “Actually could you…”

Hannah shook her head, “That wouldn’t be best right now.” She looked at the girl then back at him, “She just had an attack. Leaving her alone wouldn’t be the greatest idea.”

Clausen nodded and then looked back at Hannah, “Does he pay you?” When she looked confused, Clausen asked, “Aleksander Tiedermann.”

Hannah’s brow furrowed as she shook her head, “I don’t quite follow you.”

“You worked as his physiotherapist,” He commented, “You no longer do so, right?” Hannah nodded in agreement. Clausen, then, asked, “Yet he still transfers the same amount every month. One would normally expect a service in return, so what is it?”

Hannah looked down and paused. When she heard Annalise start to speak up, Hannah shook her head then turned back to Clausen, “What you don’t get is we stick together here. We support each other. My son disappeared. Aleksander helps me with the money. That’s it.”

Clausen held the picture of Hannah, Ulrich, and Katharina in his hand and said, “Nothing beats a good neighborhood.” He looked up and said, “It’s remarkable that Mrs. Nielsen feels the same way about that. Oh, well, maybe that’s how small towns are. People not only share secrets, but also money and beds.”

Annalise started to growl and Hannah looked at the girl. She grabbed Annalise’s wringing hands and turned back to the man.

The rest of the group of teens stormed the caves with the suitcase. Elisabeth stopped for a moment and looked behind her. Her brow furrowed seeing no one there. She could swear they were being watched. She turned and ran back to catch up to her sister. Noah slowly emerged from behind the tree and watched as his future wife ran into the caves.

Down in the bunker, Charlotte asked the man, “I want to know what you know. Where is Noah.”

“He’s one of them,” Stranger Jonas told the woman, “A traveler. He’s Adam’s puppet. He killed the children. Mads, Erik, Yasin.”

Charlotte fought back tears and admitted, “I think all of this has to do with me. Do you know who my parents are?”

Jonas looked down and shook his head, “No… But I knew your grandfather.”

Charlotte started to cry, “He’s not my real grandfather. I just grew up with him. Did he know all this?”

Jonas nodded, “Yes.”

“Is he one of them,” She asked, “A traveler?”

Jonas shook his head, “He’s just a pawn, like most of us. Claudia. She used him. Just like she used me, Peter, and the others. She had him build this.” He walked away and showed the woman the time machine.

Slowly, Charlotte came to the realization, “You know what’s going to happen in the future.”

Jonas nodded, “Yes.”

Bartosz shivered. His stomach was so empty. He was cold. A stabbing pain of numbness ran through his veins. He squinted when Magnus pointed the light at him. Magnus knelt down at the boy and asked, “What is this?”

“Want to spend another night here,” yelled Franziska.

Martha pleaded with him, “Bartosz, look at us. What are we doing here? Why won’t you tell us what’s going on?”

He shook his head, His bruised neck aching with every movement, “I would if I could. I’m not allowed to.” He whimpered, “Even if I did tell you, you wouldn’t believe me.”

“Why not,” She yelled at him.

Franziska stared down at him without any remorse or empathy, “The human body can go three days without liquid.”

Magnus stared down at him then back at his sister. He stood and grabbed the case to follow Franziska and Elisabeth out. Martha stared as Bartosz yelled, “You want to leave me here to die or what? Martha… Wait… Please. Martha, You can’t do this.” He tried to plea with her again, “Martha!” He shook his head and reasoned with himself to calm his panic, “Okay… Okay…” Bartosz yelled at their backs, “It’s a time machine!”

They all turned to him. Magnus walked around his sister. His face contorted in bewilderment, “What? Are you screwing with me?!” Magnus was getting even more annoyed every minute this was going on. Annalise hadn’t been returning any communication since the other day and his family was still broken apart. He was getting no answers to anything he needed.

Bartosz sobbed into the dirt, “I said you wouldn’t believe me.”

“Come on, we’re leaving,” Magnus told the group.

Martha held out her hand and rushed to the tied up boy, “No. Wait.” She looked Bartosz in the eye and demanded, “Then show us how it works.”

Bartosz agreed and when they untied him, he slowly opened the suitcase. He took the box out, closed the top, then placed the machine on top. He carefully opened it up to show them. He turned and said, “I need a phone.”

“There’s no reception here,” Magnus told him, shaking his head.

Bartosz shook his and explained, “That’s irrelevant. It just needs to search for a signal, that’s it.” Martha walked forwards and handed him her phone. Bartosz booted up the machine and backed up as it’s components whirled to life. As the electricity started to open up the portal, Bartosz commented, “You need to come closer.”

Magnus stepped forward first as they all watched the particle start to grow and surround all of them.

“The incident last summer,” Claudia explained, “You told me it was from a reaction in the volume control system.” She looked at Bernd and said, “I checked the data. Everything was normal. So…” She removed her hands from the table and asked, “What really happened?”

Bernd looked down then slid a leather folder to her from across the table, “I knew you wouldn’t be able to let it rest.” Claudia stared at him annoyed but opened the folder to look. Bernd continued, “After the incident, I had a sample taken and analyzed. What you see there are the results.”

Claudia looked up, then back down at the report, “These values are impossible.”

“That’s what I thought at first too,” He replied, “So I had the tests repeated. The results were identical.”

Claudia looked up and asked him, “Is this what I think it is?”

“Possibly,” Bernd slyly commented, “In many respects it corresponds to Englert, Brout, and Higgs’ calculations in 1964. But not entirely.”

“The God Particle,” Claudia said looking back up at him.

Bernd knocked on the table with great satisfaction, “The particle that gives all things its mass.”

Claudia shook her head happily, “This is a sensation.” She closed up the file and looked up at him, “If this data is correct, we have to go public with it.”

Bernd sighed, “I already told you. Some sleeping dogs should be left to lie.” As Claudia’s face dropped, he continued to explain himself, “If we go public with it people will want to know how we found it. The nuclear power plant is my legacy. Do what you like with the data, but leave my name and the power plant out of it. At least as long as I’m alive.”

Ulrich jogged to the Kahnwald house. He panted. There out at their garden table sat Mikkel. Ulrich sobbed seeing his long lost son. Happiness rushed through him.

Mikkel looked up at the older man and asked, “Can I help you? Are you not well?” He stood up and looked at the man.

Ines walked through the halls of the hospital. She went into the medicine cabinet and stole some more sleeping pills for Mikkel. She tried to walk away to hide her crime when another nurse stopped her and alerted her to the news that a psychiatric patient had escaped and that he had the reputation of killing 2 children in the 1950s and nearly killed a third. Ines’s face changed to horror. Mikkel was home alone.

Ulrich sat waiting for Mikkel. He nervously picked at the wood at the table. It wasn’t long before Mikkel came back with the orange juice. “Thank you,” Ulrich said to his son after being handed the juice.

Mikkel stared at the man. There was something really familiar about him, but he couldn’t quite place it. His mind was a bit foggy. His memories of his past life slowly fading in and out of his mind. He shook his head and admitted, “You seem familiar somehow.”

Ulrich sighed and admitted, “I’ve waited 33 years for this moment.” He looked at Mikkel who had started to look terrified. Ulrich thought for a moment and turned over his empty glass, “‘The question is not how, but when,’” He turned to Mikkel and said, “You said that. Remember?”

Mikkel felt a bittersweet emotion fill within him. He nodded as tears started to fill within him. He grabbed onto his father and held him close. It was just as he remembered. They started to cry together as Mikkel whispered, “Dad…”

“In the future,” Jonas explained, “There’s a prophecy about a new world. That Sic Mundus will lead people into paradise.” He looked at Adam and asked, “Is this that? A religion?”

Adam shrugged with one shoulder and explained, “We are the exact opposite of that. We’ve declared a war on time. God. We declared a war on God. We’re creating a new world, without time, without God.”

Jonas’s brow furrowed and asked, “What does that mean?”

“It means that what people have worshiped for millennia,” Adam explained, “The God that holds everything together, that God is nothing more than time itself. Not a thinking, acting entity. A physical law with which one can negotiate as little as one can with one’s own fate. God is time. And time is not merciful.” He thought of his own life as he continued, “we are born, and our life is already trickling away like the sand in the hourglass. Death is forever inevitably before us. Our fate is nothing but a concentration of cause and effect. In light and in shadow.”

Charlotte walked into her grandfather’s shop and continued her search. She found the blueprint of the machine and stared at it. It wasn’t long before the man whom she was searching for joined into the store with her.

“Charlotte,” Noah greeted her after the bell alerted her to his presence. He slowly approached the woman.

She backed away as he walked forward and asked, “What do you want?”

Noah took off his hat and introduced himself, “I’m Noah.”

“I know who you are,” She explained holding her ground, “You killed the children.”

Sadly, Noah shook his head, “I can no longer change what you think of me.” Tears filled his eyes, “But… Maybe one day you’ll understand that I only did this so that it will one day no longer happen.” He took out the notebook as he stared at the terrified woman, “So you’re not taken from me again and neither is your mother.” At her confusion, Noah opened his notebook and showed the woman a polaroid of he holding a small baby, “When you were born, they didn’t give you much of a chance. You were premature. You were tiny.” He shook his head and further explained, “But you wanted to live. You were so strong. Your tiny hand grasped my finger and wouldn’t let go.”

“Stop,” begged the sobbing woman. She shook her head in complete disbelief, “That’s impossible.”

Noah placed the picture next to her and stated, “Your mother took that picture. I promised her I’d bring you back.” He studied her face and told her, “I’ve looked for you all these years.” He looked down and said, “But you were here the entire time.” He laughed slowly breaking down, “Adam knew it was you. He knew it the entire time. He’s preparing for what comes afterwards.” He smiled, “I read the last pages. The nuclear power plant, Jonas, David. It’ll all happen again. The apocalypse. In two days. But I now know what I must do.” He backed away from his frightened daughter, “I have to end Adam. So everyone lives.” He put back on his hat as he started to leave, “Not just those in the bunker.”

Charlotte finally gained the courage again. She gripped onto it firmly and asked, “Who is my mother?”

Noah stopped and slowly turned to the sobbing woman, “She loved you very much. She still does.” He turned away and walked out leaving his daughter crying there.

The teens walked out of the caves into 1987. They turned to Bartosz and Franziska asked, “What happened here?” Everyone looked around seeing the forest different from what they remembered.

“The armchair is gone,” Martha commented.

Magnus turned and asked the boy, “What’s going on?”

“I didn’t believe it at first either,” Bartosz started, “But then he told me things that would happen. And they did, just as he said. That… You and Jonas kissed. He told me that before you did it. That Annalise would get drunk, try to go home, and nearly fall off the bridge. That my mother would get cancer. That Jonas and Annalise would vanish.”

Magnus sneered and approached the boy angrily, “Who told you that?” He wanted to destroy who ever told the boy these things without trying to fix them. His rage boiled.

Bartosz leaned away from the displeasured boy and admitted, “Noah.”

“Noah,” Franziska asked, “A priest with big blue eyes?”

Bartosz looked towards her and asked, “You know him?”

Franziska shook her head then motioned to her sister, “I don’t. But Elisabeth does.” Bartosz looked down at the small blonde girl finally feeling kinship with someone again.

“Okay,” Magnus growled, “What’s going on?”

“Noah said it was about a war,” Bartosz’s brow creased as he tried to remember what the man had said. None of it made sense but the boy continued to tell his story, “And about ruling over time. That my grandmother is involved in it… That Jonas will return and…”

Martha asked, “Jonas? Jonas is coming back?”

“Yeah,” He admitted before continuing, “They’re both part of the war. Annalise and him.”

Magnus started to laugh. He shook his head. There was no way any of what Bartosz was saying was true. He turned away from everyone and told them, “I’m going home.” He started to walk away followed by Franziska and Elisabeth.

Bartosz looked at Martha. He begged her, “You have to believe me.”

Martha shook her head and turned away. She walked to try and catch up with the rest of the group leaving him alone, there in the woods.

Ines rushed though the house trying to find her adopted son. She called his new name, “Michael! Michael!” When she saw the two cups, the woman ended up calling Egon, “I just got home and Michael isn’t here and… The man broke out of the psychiatric ward... ”

“Which man from the ward,” He asked.

Ines shook her head, “It was on the radio today. Do you remember? The children at the construction sight in 1953? That man escaped.”

Egon hurriedly told her, “I’ll call the police station at once. I might know where they’re headed. I’ll come pick you up.” He hung up.

Mikkel and Ulrich ran through the forest trying to get to the caves before anyone could stop them. The sirens blared through the air. Ines led the officers but soon got out ran.

“Stop,” one of the officers yelled at him shooting into the air.

The two stopped. Ulrich placed himself in between the officers and Mikkel. “Michael,” Ines called the boy.

“Let the boy go,” another officer commanded.

Mikkel held onto his father tightly. “No,” Ulrich yelled back. Ines tried to run to them, only to get pulled back by Egon.

“Get on the ground,” A different officer yelled at the man.

“Michael,” Ines yelled.

Ulrich hid Mikkel behind him and yelled, “You don’t get it!”

Another voice commanded, “Get down!”

Ulrich pleaded with them, “He’s my son!”

“I said get down now!”

Ulrich slowly lowered himself to the ground. The officers surrounded him and separated the boy from him. “Mikkel,” Ulrich sobbed.

Ines ran to the boy, “Michael!” She held him close as the boy watched the officers arresting his father, “Michael.”

“Mikkel,” Ulrich fought the officers to tell the boy. He promised the boy, “I’ll be back. I’ll take you home.”

Mikkel’s chest hurt as he watched his father getting pulled away from him. His eyes never left Ulrich’s side. A part of him knew now that he was going to have to accept this new life. His old life was always going to be ripped away from him no matter how much it came back to him. It was simply a haunting.

Ulrich sneered at Egon as they passed, “It’s all your fault! It always has been! I swear, next time… I’ll kill you.”

Adam sighed, “Mikkel… Michael. Our father is just a small part of a knot. That is infinitely larger and more convoluted. The entire universe is nothing but a gigantic knot from which there is no escape.”

“If that’s true,” Jonas concluded, “if everything is perpetually in that knot, if nothing can be changed, then you’ve already had this conversation?”

Adam nodded, “And posed that very question. My whole life, I was convinced that this moment could never be repeated in this way. I could never speak the words that my older self said to me back then. Because I could not understand how I could ever in my life want what he wanted… Now, 66 years later, I understand it. Some moments...” He fiddled with his thumbs thinking of what was going to happen in just a short time once he sent his younger self back, “change us forever.” He paused then thinking of what was going to happen once again in two days, “Some pain you never forget.” He leaned forward uncrossing his legs, “But there is a way that leads us out of all this cruel fertility.”

“If that’s true,” Jonas leaned in closer, more interested once more, “if there is a way, why does it all happen as it always has, why have you changed nothing?”

Adam smirked and walked to his wall of notes. He explained to his younger self, “Every development builds on the previous one. First you have the wheel, then the car. I can’t be me without previously having been you.” He raised his hands and explained, “You saw the passage in the bunker. The chair, the device. The thing in the future. But that’s not the end of the chain.”

Claudia thanked the scientist for meeting her and for his time. She slowly took out the God particle and asked him to analyze it without telling anyone. She vaguely explained it to the man as they watched the dark liquid slosh in the small glass canister.

The teens walked over the hill and to the bus stop. There they found evidence of it being 1987. They watched as the old styled cares drove past. Ulrich turned to see the group there. He begged the officers to pull over because he saw his children. This was all for not. The officers kept driving the poor man away from his family to go to the hospital.

Bartosz looked at the group and asked, “Do you believe me now?” He turned as the rest of the group just tried to process what was going on.

Hannah sat at the table. Annalise was slowly fading in and out of sleep. When the door slammed open and shut, the mother stood and rushed to the older version of her son, “You’re back. Where have you been?”

Jonas took a step back. He looked at the two, then to the pictures, and then looked back at his mother, “Did this ever mean anything to you?” Hannah looked towards the side as Jonas asked, “Did you ever actually love Dad?” He shook his head and said, “I know you had an affair with Ulrich.” Annalise stood up and got in between them. She weakly tried to push him away from his mother, but this didn’t stop him from asking, “If you could choose between Dad and Ulrich now…”

Annalise slapped him. The girl screamed at him, “Oh and you’re one to talk!” Tears ran down her face, “That’s such fucking bullshit Jonas.” She started to hit his chest.

Jonas effortlessly took both of her wrists in one hand and ignored her. He stared at his mother and said, “With all this shit, I thought you were the only person I could trust completely.” He looked down at Annalise and said, “This isn’t the time.”

Her fury unleashed itself, “Yeah?! And when is it the time?! HUH?!” She tried to twist herself out of his grip, “Yeah! I fucking thought so! This is so fucking stupid! I hate this! I hate you! Let me go!”

He let her wrist go, but scooped her up into his arms as she screamed. He knew she was just exhausted and tired. Her mind was weighing thousands of options and she felt like the weight of the universe sat squarely on her decision. Jonas couldn’t be angry with her. She was so young, scared, traumatised, and having to face the hardest decision of her life. If anything, it hurt more seeing her descent. He didn’t see this side of it last time and he never wanted to see it again. Knowing how she could have continued being to see her now thrashing and raging as if a caged animal. He pulled her into him despite her animosity and tried to go up the stairs to their room.

“I ruined everything,” Hannah said. With that everything stopped. Jonas stopped walking up the stairs, Annalise stopped screaming, everything. Hannah looked at the pictures of her family and whispered, “I know.”

Jonas shrugged and stared at Annalise then back at his mother, “Maybe you always have.” Annalise went back to spewing obscenities and hatred at the man as he tried to carry them up the stairs.

“Jonas,” Hannah tried to stop him again.

Jonas slowly came to terms with what needed to be said to both himself and his mother, “You need no one. Just yourself.” He climbed up the stairs with Annalise screeching.

The teens walked their way back to 2020 as Ines carried Mikkel back home. Egon sighed and guiltily walked away. Ulrich shook trying to be released screaming for his family that was ripped from him until the sedative hit. Charlotte stared at the polaroid of baby her and Noah. Ines made her son hot chocolate and put the sleeping pill’s contents inside. Martha walked into her room and found some of Jonas’s hair there. She looked up knowing he must be close. Adam walked his younger self to the portal room.

Adam explained, “It’s not the same as what lies in the future.” It is, in a manner of speaking, it’s twin. It is part of the infinite. It pervades everything. People have given it a myriad of names over the centuries: ether, dark matter, the Higgs field.”

Jonas looked over to him and asked, “How did it come to be?”

“The one in the future,” Adam told the boy, “via the disaster in two days you so dearly want to prevent. This one… We produced ourselves. It is the end of a technological evolution. And… it will be the end of the knot. This right here will take you to the exact day that you want to travel to. It breaks the 33 year cycle.”

Jonas stared at him, “That’s why I’m here. That’s what you want from me. There is a way to stop it all if I stop the beginning.”

Adam nodded, “That there is. The only question is when is the beginning?” He looked up at the portal, “And what sacrifice we must make?”

Jonas’s lips trembled as he told the man, “The 20th of June… 2019. The day before it all happened. Before Dad took his own life. Before it all fell apart.”

Adam’s heart raced, “If you can prevent him from taking his own life, then everything that follows will not occur.” He turned and started at the portal once more. He sighed and said, “Mikkel will not travel back. You… I… We won’t be born… But everyone will live.” He paused and leaned forward knowing what he needed to say, “Martha will live.” Adam set up the machine to send him back. Tears fell from his face as he called, “If you succeed, we will reorder the world.”

Jonas looked at the dark orb and let himself be surrounded as Adam watched on.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If I don't get comments with y'all mad/sad at me about this chapter, am I really doing my job? Also the song referenced is here 
> 
> [ I recommend playing this at the last paragraph or the last three for extra feeling. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqwXY8h9c5I)
> 
> Anyway! Good luck! I love you.

Where did it all begin? Where did things begin? In the past? In the future? Who can say where it began? Will we ever be capable of knowing the origin of all things? Or is there still an origin before that? And before that? And before that? Do beginning and end even exist? Or is it all connected in an endless loop and are “beginning” and “end” just different words for one and the same moment?

The day was June 20th, 2019. Jonas woke up to music blaring. He slowly allowed himself time to actually get out of bed while he listened to the radio.

> _Somehow, sometime._
> 
> _The future starts somewhere_
> 
> _I won’t wait much longer now_
> 
> _Love is created through bravery_
> 
> _So don’t think about it twice_
> 
> _We ride on fiery wheels_
> 
> _Towards the future through the night._

Jonas turned off the radio and got dressed. He jogged his way downstairs to grab himself some breakfast. He turned around to go to the table after pouring his cereal.

“Boo,” Michael smiled, greeting his son. He had just come in from getting the paper so he decided it might be fun to pull a small prank on Jonas.

They both laughed and Jonas smiled. “Good morning,” He walked around the man to go sit at the table.

Michael turned and told the boy, “Good morning sleepyhead.” He threw the newspaper on the table and walked to sit with his son, “So? What are your plans?”

“I’m off to the lake with the others,” Jonas explained to his father.

Michael hummed, “It’s supposed to storm later, you know?”

Hannah walked down the stairs and kissed her husband’s head. Michael hummed as she pressed her cheek against his then walked into the kitchen to make herself food. She told Jonas, “Don’t forget about Ulrich and Katharina’s party tonight. Don’t be late so again, okay?”

“Yeah,” Jonas said nonchalantly.

Michael looked up and stared. Today was the day, wasn’t it. He zoned out as his wife took down a bowl for herself. Hannah asked him, “Are you sure you don’t want to come?”

Michael took a second to process what she said. He nodded and said, “She’s almost done.” He smiled and elbowed Jonas, “Want to see her?”

Jonas rubbed his side, “Sure Dad.”

Michael hurried up the stairs and grabbed the painting he made of his first love. He smiled gently seeing her again. Tomorrow was the first day he would actually meet her since she had declined going to the party tonight. He brought the portrait downstairs to show his son. “Lookie here,” He chuckled and asked, “Pretty, ain’t she?”

Jonas smiled at his father’s pride in the project. He barely glanced at it before saying, “Yeah Dad.” He turned to check the time and whispered, “Fuck.” He hurried to put his things away. He walked over to his things and grabbed his bag. He thought for a second and grabbed his raincoat as well. He walked over to bid a farewell to his parents, “Right. I’ve got to go.” Seeing the yellow jacket in Jonas’s hand made Michael drop the painting. He quickly then bent down to pick up his last piece of her he was ever going to have. Jonas reached towards his father, “Are you okay, Dad?”

He looked up and said, “Yeah. I’m good.” He looked around defensively, “Everything’s alright.” Michael studied the painting. Luckily nothing was damaged on her. “I…” Michael admitted, “I just had deja vu…” He picked up the painting fully and placed it down on the shelf under the clock.

Jonas stayed there for a moment studying his father before just nodding, “Okay. See you later.”

When Hannah heard Jonas completely out the door, she slowly approached her husband. Feeling her light touch, Mikkel jumped in surprise but quickly melted into her contact. She wrapped her arms around him from behind and pressed her face into his back. Hannah whispered, “Don’t you think it'd be good if you got out?” Mikkel looked down at her hand. He mentally wasn’t there with Hannah. Michael was far away thinking of Annalise and wondering where she was. Hannah asked him, “At least think about it?” She kissed the man’s back and held herself close to him trying to make him feel her love and closeness, “For me.”

“I still have to finish her,” He grumbled to Hannah.

Hannah let him go and went back to making her coffee.

Dressed in matching Hawaiian shirts, Magnus zoomed past his sister to catch up to Bartosz. They laughed as the let go of the handle just enough to give each other a fist bump. Martha turned her head to smile and blush at Jonas as they all rode to the lake. Jonas smiled blissfully unaware for a moment before an unexplainable sinking feeling hit him.

The church bells tolled on the hour and our Jonas stumbled out of it on his mission to correct the course of history.

Ulrich kissed Katharina as he tried to convince her to make love with him. They giggled with each other kissing until they heard the door open. At first, Ulrich snapped but when he turned to see his youngest splotched up and red his heart sank.

“I think I’m sick,” complained Mikkel, “I’m covered in red spots. Maybe I have dengue fever?”

Katharina sat up and motioned to him, “Come here.” She checked her son and cursed. “You’ve got rubella.” She shook her head and asked, “You had to pick today of all days for this?” She playfully growled at her son then pet his head, “Let’s get you to the doctor.” She got out of bed to go and walk with Mikkel to get him ready leaving Ulrich alone in bed.

Aleksander drank his morning coffee as he read the newspaper. His eyes were grabbed by the headline, ‘Murder in Marburg Unsolved 33 Years Later. Search for Two Fugitives Perps Still on.’

“Will you come by later,” his wife’s voice pulled him away from the paper. Regina walked over to him and placed a concerned hand on his back, “This afternoon, to the hotel for lunch.”

Aleksander quickly closed the newspaper and said, “Yes! Of course.” He wrapped his arm around her to try and desway her worries.

Regina squinted at him, “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah,” He quickly replied.

Regina knew the look on his face. She could see that he was clearly lying to her so she wanted to give him another chance to open up, “Are you sure?” When he nodded and hummed holding firm that he was okay, she reached over him to grab her phone. She left a small kiss on her cheek as she parted with him and said, “See you later.”

Freida smiled at her daughter, “Come on darling, you can’t just stay stuffed up in this room the entire time we’re here. What’s the use in coming if you don’t at least try it out? Is it too much to ask you to talk to a single person other than me here?”

“I perfectly can stay cooped up in one place for one week without issues,” Annalise said, scrolling through her phone looking at pictures and videos of her father and her, “It’s not like you didn’t send me off to do just that for how many months? Plus, I talked to that nice lady just yesterday… Mrs. Tiedemann?”

Freida sighed and walked to her daughter, “I know. I know dear.” She kissed the girl’s head. She watched the video of her late husband filming with his selfie stick jogging ahead of his daughter taunting her for losing stamina so fast on their vacation up to Yellowstone. Even on vacation, their training for track never let up. The small little family felt empty without his light and playfulness all around them. He and Annalise were inseparable. You’d never find one without the other. Lukas loved his near spitting image so much. Freida kissed her daughter’s head again and asked, “Could you please at least try to see if you will be able to adjust well here? I hear that Ulrich jogs every morning.”

“Who’s Ulrich,” Annalise asked, without looking up. She started up another video of her dad. This time Lukas was speaking to the video without Annalise around.

Lukas smiled in the video while wearing his firefighter uniform,

> _“Hey there Anna! I’m so sorry I couldn’t make it to this tournament._
> 
> _I promise I am still with you okay?_
> 
> _No matter where I am, remember our song we agreed on._
> 
> _‘I'll be the soles of your shoes on the ground_
> 
> _Running with you 'til you're safe and you're sound’_
> 
> _I love you. You are going to do great.”_

Freida rolled her eyes and sighed at her daughter, “Nielsen? As in the host family and the husband to the principal?”

Annalise nodded, “Yeah, about that.” She put her phone away, “You think I could possibly go to a smaller host family or something? I don’t know if I am a right fit with a family that already has two kids my age.”

“They have a younger one too you know, Mikkel,” Freida helped her daughter up and opened the curtains in the room, “You used to love helping out at the summer camps and volunteering with kids. Plus the hospital said you always liked hanging out with the kids there. So I’m sure that will be fun.”

Annalise nodded, “Okay… I can at least try to meet them.” She mumbled her voice slowly going more inaudible as she continued, “Well the kids were more fun anyway. They would actually play Uno and stuff with me. Plus they had the better snacks.”

“Perfect,” Freida smiled, “There’s a party at their house later tonight.”

Annalise screamed, “What?!” She quieted herself again and rushed through her words, “Mom. I- I’m not ready for something like that. I can barely see my own friends? How am I supposed to meet all of theirs?” She started to hyperventilate. What if someone mentioned or asked about her dad? What if someone asked about her scars and she would have to tell the entire room? What if because of that they all thought she was a freak? She pulled at the short sleeves of her shirt.

Freida held her daughter, “Okay.” She thought for a second, “Okay then! I’ll just go! How does that sound? Maybe I can see if we can arrange to meet them before the party and we can have Magnus walk with you back or something?”

Annalise nodded, “Please?” She clung to her mother and closed her eyes before they opened again with a furrowed brow, “Wait… Who’s Magnus again?”

Charlotte sat at home and looked up at her husband who just came home. He smiled and placed his bags down. Peter greeted her, “Hey!” He walked further inside and asked, “Where are the kids?” Charlotte just stared silently at him causing him to try and explain, “I was at the nursing home.” His wife just continued to stare at him. He sighed exasperated, “Shall we just go on like this? That you won’t believe anything I say?” Charlotte looked down as if she were contemplating. “Say something,” Peter begged. She looked up at him and stayed silent. Peter turned away and angrily swat at the air, “Maybe this is why all this happened.” He turned towards her and said, “Because I get nothing from you. Nothing. It’s as if you’re dead inside.”

Charlotte sighed, “About tonight… I think it’s best if I go to the Nielsens’ alone.”

Peter smacked his lips but nodded walking out of the room.

“Did you know about the lady who drowned here,” Batosz teased Martha.

The girl splashed at him, “Stop it!”

He just smiled and continued, “When the water is clear, you can see her dress down there. And sometimes you feel her hands on your feet while swimming.” He shook his head and said, “But that’s not the worst thing. The worst is when she’s hungry.” That was Magnus’s cue to slyly swim beneath the surface to help scare his sister. Bartosz chuckled, “Then she drags people down to her.”

Magnus quickly pulled Martha down causing the girl to yelp out in fear. He quickly let go and both rose up to the surface. Bartosz and Magnus laughed as Martha tried to readjust herself. “Asshole,” She yelled, splashing Bartosz. She rolled her eyes, “Ha-ha. Very funny.”

Jonas sat at the edge of the lake on the sandy beach watching his friends swim and laugh. He smiled to himself as Martha strolled out of the pond and dried herself off.

Martha tossed her towel down next to him and laid down on it. She leaned closer to the boy and asked, “You coming tonight?”

“I think so,” He turned his head to talk to her.

There was silence between them. Martha sat up as Jonas’s eyes darted from her eyes down to her lips and back. This moment didn’t last long before Martha spoke again.

“I sometimes wonder if my parents are really happy together,” sighed the girl, “Or if people just make do with what they have?” Jonas turned away and thought for a moment causing Martha to ask, “Are your parents happy?”

Jonas blinked and looked down. He shook his head, “No idea.”

“Bad news kiddo,” Freida told her daughter, “Looks like all of them are busy. They are taking Mikkel to the doctor since he has rubella and Magnus and Martha are out at the lake with some friends.”

Annalise nodded, “Okay. Well, we tried right?”

Freida smiled, “We tried.” She collapsed on the bed next to her daughter then turned to look at her.

Annalise shook her head, “What is that look for? Why are you staring at me like that?”

“I’m just proud that you’re trying,” Freida smiled. She played with the hem of her daughter’s shorts that she was mandated to wear for at least another few months. The hospital wanted to make sure that she wasn’t going to actively try to harm herself without notice so they mandated a dress code for her.

Annalise turned her head. She sighed and got up, “I guess I’ll head that way then. You know… The lake?” She scratched at one of her scars as she got ready to leave, “It might be nice to get some sun and meet the people I’m going to have to be around.”

Our Jonas stood on the side of the street debating his next move. He had to insure some things before leaving this time. He needed to close the chapter with Martha and then find his dad to convince him not to kill himself. Jonas tried to think back to what his father was doing that day when a car drove up.

“Hey Jonas,” Katharina called from inside the car, “Weren’t you going to the lake? Martha and Magnus left a long time ago.”

Jonas walked around the car trying not to speak in fear of giving himself away. Mikkel smiled and stuck his fist out of the car window, “Ultimate fist bump?”

Katharina laughed, “Don’t touch the pestilent boy. He has rubella.” At that Mikkel huffed and withdrew his offer bringing his hand back into the car. Katharina looked at the boy and asked, “Where’s your bike? Should we give you a ride?” Jonas shook his head prompting Katharina to nod, “See you tonight then.”

Ulrich chuckled and leaned over his wife, “I know one person who’d be really glad if you came, and it’s not Magnus.” He laughed.

Katharina pushed her husband back to the other side of the car, “Ulrich.”

“Why,” Mikkel chuckled, “It’s no secret Martha’s nuts about him.”

“Stop it,” Katharina tried to defend her daughter. She turned to Jonas, “Come on, get in. We’ll drop you off at the lake.”

Jonas shook his head, “No, it’s okay. Really.”

“Good,” Ulrich laughed, “Then see you later, Romeo.” He winked at the boy and they drove off.

Magnus had walked away from the group to take a piss. While there though, He spied a girl naked laying face down in the water. He placed himself back into his trunks and ran to help her.

Franziska stood hearing the wild splashing hear her. She looked up to see the tall blond boy in front of her. “Magnus,” she asked him confused.

Bewildered, Magnus was at a loss of words. He shook his head and tried not to stare at her breasts. He stuttered as he tried to explain himself, “You weren’t moving and I… I thought you were dead. He said there was a dead body there.”

Franziska looked around for a second to see if anyone else was there to witness her skinny dipping. When she saw no one else, she looked back at the boy. The red head shook her head and said, “Still plenty alive.”

“Cool,” Magnus stated before wading out of the water, taking a few times to stare back at her again.

Franziska smiled as she watched the boy leave. She was entertained by him. This was her first time actually gaining interest in him and was he now an interest.

Martha laid on the beach trying to memorize her play. She looked up at Jonas sitting next to her and smiled.

“Something up,” Jonas asked laughing.

Martha shook her head, “I…” She giggled, “I was just thinking…” She laughed at herself and asked, “Wouldn’t you sometimes like to know what happens next?”

Jonas thought for a moment and leaned back, “You mean in the future?”

Martha sat up once more and leaned a bit towards him, “Yes or… maybe just in the next 5 minutes. I… sometimes get this feeling that something is about to happen. You know?” She stared deep into his eyes.

Jonas’s heart raced. His brain was running faster than it ever ran before but there were still no cognitive thoughts there.

“Attack,” Magnus yelled, interrupting the moment. He jogged past them but then turned and stopped, “Hey! Mom said that chick was going to head over to meet us.”

“What girl,” Jonas asked before checking the time. When he looked at it, he realized he was going to be late. He scrambled up while whispering under his breath, “Fuck.”

Martha shook her head and asked, “What’s up?”

Jonas quickly got his pants on and explained, “I’ve got to go. We gave Grandma Ines a tablet for her birthday. I promised my grandmother I was going to show her how it works.” He threw on his backpack.

“Okay,” Martha said sadly.

“I’ll see you later,” asked Jonas.

Martha nodded but then called him back, “Jonas! Why do you have a raincoat?”

Our Jonas watched his younger self through the trees explain, “Because it’s supposed to rain later.” 2019 Jonas chuckled, “Well...then…” He was struggling to leave, but eventually turned.

After a little bit of waiting, 2020 Jonas zipped up his coat past his scars and pulled his hood so that it hid his longer hair. He slowly approached Martha and sat next to her. He was frowning as he slowly tried to figure out how he wanted to close this part of his life. He turned and looked at her, “I thought I still had time.” He furrowed his brow, “Why do people say that anyway? ‘To have time.’ How can you have time when it clearly has you?”

Martha sighed and tried to figure him out, “Has something happened?” When he was silent, she commented, “You’re different somehow.”

“I wanted to tell you something,” Jonas concluded looking at her, “I’ve wanted to for a long time.” He stared at her and said, “I think… I think we were meant to meet. Never think anything else.” He closed his eyes as Martha slowly closed the gap to kiss him. He reached around to hold her there in that moment before letting go. Something felt strange about this. As if his heart were empty while doing this, an empty gesture. Jonas whispered to her, “I’ve got to go now.” He stood up and pulled himself away from his old happiness walking towards where he needed to go.

The Nielsens’ pulled up to the Kahnwald house. Hannah greeted them and Ulrich asked, “Did Captain Nielsen make you work too?”

Hannah laughed, “All the best on your wedding anniversary.”

Ulrich commented, “Crazy, isn’t it? It’s been 25 years.”

“Thank you for the glasses, Hannah,” Katharina told the woman.

Michael watched them out the window. They were just packing up the car, but it was so familiar to him. Like a foggy dream. Then he saw himself get out of the car.

Mikkel complained, “I need to pee.”

“Go on the tree over there,” Ulrich told him.

Hannah stared at the boy. He was so familiar. Something ate at her. She didn’t even hear at first that Katharina was asking her a question. Once Hannah snapped out of it she said, “Yeah, of course he can come use our bathroom. It’s just across from the front door.” Mikkel nodded and walked to the house. Hannah turned to the parents and said, “I just had deja vu or something. Mikkel’s gotten big.”

Katharina nodded in agreement, “He eats like an ogre.”

“He got that from his mother,” Ulrich teased.

Katharina pinched her husband’s gut playfully, “Hey, you stop that!”

Hannah smiled and forced out a laugh.

Mikkel walked inside the house. Something felt weird about it today. He walked into the bathroom.

Michael climbed down the stairs and listened to himself using the bathroom then hid. When his younger self saw him, he was terrified and ran out. Michael hit his head against the wall and started to pant trying to suppress his tears.

Annalise walked the street set to her on google maps. She had gotten the coordinates from supposedly Magnus earlier. She sighed and placed the phone back in her pocket. She placed her headphones in and listened to her music as she walked.

As Jonas walked his way towards his childhood home, he zoned out. He walked down the street only to find a very strange sight. There in front of him was a girl. She had shorter hair, seemed sad, but he knew her instantly. There walking along the road was Annalise. He swallowed, what was she doing here? She wasn’t supposed to be here yet. The girl must have seen him staring at her because she stopped.

Annalise tilted her head, “Hello?” The girl took out her earpods. She tried to pull the boy out of his trance, “Is there...uh” The girl still had an issue speaking German. She was stuttering over her words and trying to pantomime before just switching to English, “Am I doing something wrong? Is this the way to the beach?”

Jonas shook his head. His lips trembled. He smiled and said, “Yes… But No! You just look like a girl I know.” He pantomimed as well to help her understand what he was saying. This must have been why Bartosz had said she was so bad at German.

The girl smiled gently and tried to ask, “May I...uh…” She motioned to her chest out towards him. When she could see he didn’t quite understand, she pressed her fingers to her lips gently then pointed to him.

Jonas blushed. He swallowed hard then walked closer to her. Seeing her like this made him forget the world around him. He was just a boy with a girl standing on the side of the road walking opposite directions.

“No,” Annalise said loudly, throwing her hands up in front of her to stop him, “I...uh...want to...speak…” Her eyes shifted down to the ground then back up at him. She wanted to see how bad her conversational skills were before meeting the Nielsen kids. Supposedly they were at the lake. Luckily she had the excuse that she wasn’t dressed for it to get into the water, but she couldn’t lie to her mother about having met them if her mom was just going to meet them later that night and mention her.

Jonas’s eyes widened in understanding then he nodded with a smile, “Oh! Practice German with me.” He motioned. He laughed at himself for just resuming their relationship right off the bat despite her never meeting him by that point. He felt so stupid thinking that a complete stranger was just going to ask for him to kiss her.

“Yeah,” She nodded. Her eyes glowed having someone understand her, “I am from America. My Zayde is from here. It is nice to meet you.” She held out her hand. She seemed very confident saying those few sentences in German. The girl had practiced those frequently so they came out the most fluid out of all of her speech. If Annalise were honest, she liked having to only interact with one person. She was much better with that as of late.

The boy chuckled and took her hand in his. He noticed something across her forearm he had never noticed before. There were scars there. His eyes traced them then went back to her face. His face had dropped. He turned her hands over to see scarring on her knuckles as well.

Annalise gently pulled her hand away from him, “I was in...an accident.” She nervously tried in vain to cover them up. Her heart leapt into her throat. Her eyes started to water from anxiousness. She recoiled ready for the insults.

Jonas unzipped his jacket to reveal his scabs from being hung. He nodded in understanding and said, “So was I.”

The girl walked towards him and motioned if she could touch. She seemed almost hypnotized by his scars. He could recognize that pained look on her face. Jonas nodded. Her touch was just as he remembered. She was gentle, soft, doting, earnest. Jonas’s eyes closed. His breathing steadied to match hers. Time stood still as the two teenagers just tried to process their life leading up to this moment. Being together alone with practically a stranger that was somehow closer than any other person in the world right at that moment. Jonas knew so much about her, yet nothing of her. She knew absolutely nothing about him, yet she still treated him as if she would treat someone she held dearly. He finally understood it that moment in his room. Why their hearts beat as one. He wanted nothing more than to put his forehead against hers. To tell her that he finally understood and that he lo-

“I just got out of the hospital,” Annalise confessed. Her voice took him out of his thoughts. She started to walk with him, “They say the scars should fade in another few months to be barely noticeable. I’m sure yours will be very much the same.”

Jonas nodded. She was so close to him. His hand dangled waiting for her hand to sneak into it as it normally did only for it to be left alone. He gulped and asked, “Oh?”

Annalise nodded, “My dad… We drove off a bridge to avoid a collision after a meet. He saved me from drowning. He unbuckled me, and pushed me through the broken glass.” The girl motioned to her scars then continued, “I was in the middle of the Hudson for a while screaming looking for him. He never made it out though.” She walked next to him, sniffled back tears, and said, “So my mom signed me up for the foreign exchange program here to help me adjust again before going back to school at home. She didn’t want the pressure the team would put me through. We know they would mean well, but…” Annalise shrugged and sighed, “I’m not ready...And you know… People don’t like messy.” She needed to switch back and forth from English at points but Jonas got the picture.

“Team?” Jonas asked, “Want to tell me about it?”

Annalise nodded, “I ran track and cross country before…”

Jonas smiled, “I’m sure you will get back to it someday. You still seem like a fast runner.” He thought back to the night she ran from him and how much it surprised him to see her able to pull that off, but now it made much more sense.

“Yeah,” Annalise sighed wistfully, then her face dropped, “I just can’t stop thinking about my dad though. That was kinda, our thing. You know?”

Jonas nodded, “Yeah. I know how that feels actually.” He looked up and said, “It’s so hard to go back from your old life when a person you loved more than the world is gone and almost everyone else has moved on, without you.” He smiled and gently put his hand into hers to comfort her. She seemed to melt at his touch. As if she was starved for any type of human connection. He tried to change the topic just to see her smile without laced sadness once more, “You know, I think longer hair would suit you too. You have such a wonderful face for it.”

Annalise giggled as she reached up to touch the ends of it, “Well thank you. They had to cut it at the hospital. A kid put gum in it during group.” She leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked.

“That is such a shame,” He laughed with her. Jonas let his head rest on hers as they walked. He sighed content with their togetherness.

She smiled and asked, “can you follow me for a second?”

“Want some,” Magnus asked Bartosz as they biked through the fields.

The boy shook his head, “Nah, thanks.”

“See you later then,” Magnus wished his friend goodbye before biking off.

Bartosz smiled, “Till tomorrow.” When he saw Martha about to follow her brother he stopped her, “Martha…” He mumbled and stumbled over his words, “Sorry I can’t come over later, but… we’ve got a party, for my mom and the hotel...I just couldn’t get out of it.” He sighed, “I just wanted to tell you that.”

Martha blinked. She tried to figure out why he would just volunteer this to her and not Magnus. She didn’t want to be rude though so she smiled and told the boy, “No biggie.”

“And I…” Bartosz stopped her, “I really like…” He got too nervous to fully say it and said, “your hair that way.” He shook his head, “I mean… You look good. With that hair.”

Martha smiled, finally understanding a little bit.

Bartosz laughed at himself and his confession, “Shit. You know what I mean.”

Martha giggled. Her heart fluttered when he said that, but as soon as she was about to say something, Jonas appeared in her mind. She looked at the boy, “Well… See you later.”

2020 Jonas nodded and followed her out into the woods. He found themselves back at the rock that he found her sitting at when she sang to him and played with his hair. His heart raced thinking about that moment now. The tenderness they shared. The way the air felt as though this place was just for the two of them. How she always came back right to this spot. His face glowed a light pink. He watched her stand on top of the rock. She smiled and pulled him up with her. Their faces only centimeters from each other for a second before she turned away from him with her full body. Their closeness felt like an eternity, yet not enough time for him to actually do anything about it.

Annalise screamed then started to laugh. She turned to him and smiled, “Scream with me.” She was so beautiful in the afternoon light. The light from above cast a darling halo on her hair. It almost seemed as if she was glowing.

Jonas laughed, “What?”

“Scream with me,” The girl repeated, “It seems like you need it.” She laughed again.

Jonas shook his head for a second then let out a yell. It was small and pathetic compared to hers. He thought for a second afterwards. It did help. He screamed again. This time allowing all of the anger and sadness out with her. He could hear her voice join his as they roared at the world together. Both of their voices echoed through the forest, the trees, the rocks, the caves. They screamed until their throats burned from their residual frustration. Their chests empty and yet so heavy. When he finally turned, he saw her tears dripping down her face. He reached up and felt his own raining down upon the stone below them. They looked up at each other once more and laughed. Both of them realized they were yelling for the exact same thing, their fathers. Their smiles infected each other. The boy reached over and wiped her tears away, having the girl mirror the same thing with him. Jonas hopped off the rock first and held his hand out to help her jump down as well. They walked hand in hand back down to the road so that they could continue on their way.

2019 Jonas walked into the party with his mother. As soon as he came in he was greeted by Martha. She smiled at him and said, “Hey. I’m glad you made it.”

“Yeah me too.”

She looked around and asked, “Can I get you a drink?”

“Yeah,” Jonas said over the music following the girl.

When Katharina spotted Hannah, she squealed and ran over to the other woman, “Hey!”

Hannah laughed, “Hey.” She kissed Katharina’s cheeks as they greeted each other.

“It was meant to be a garden party, but this is much cozier,” Katharina explained. She turned and saw Freida, “Hey!” She called the other woman over. Katharina put her arm around the American and smiled at Hannah, “Hannah, Freida. Freida, Hannah. Hannah has been a very close friend since we were in high school. Hannah, Freida’s daughter is actually going to be staying with us soon.” Then the old classic Belinda Carlisle song came on. The blonde smiled and said to Freida, “Please mingle and excuse me. This is my favorite song. I have to dance.”

Freida smiled and watched as the woman danced away. She blushed and turned towards Hannah, “Hello.”

“Hello,” Hannah said. She held up her dish and asked, “Do you know where this goes?”

Freida nodded, “Yeah, It’s right over here.” She led the other woman through the other room where Magnus talked to his grandparents about getting a driver’s license. Freida laughed as she watched Katharina’s antics.

“Come on Charlotte,” She tried to drag the other woman up, “Dance with me.”

Charlotte shook her head as she allowed herself to get dragged up, “Please no. Katharina no.”

Hannah placed her dish down and walked back to Freida and led her over to Charlotte, “Hello Charlotte.”

Charlotte smiled, “Hello Hannah. Hello again Freida.”

Hannah turned to Charlotte and asked, “Where’s Peter?”

“Summer cold,” Charlotte lied then asked, “Michael?”

Hannah nodded, “Something similar.” The two women turned to Freida who was already downing another glass that Ulrich had poured her as he was passing by. Hannah asked, “How about you Freida?”

“Oh, my husband died,” admitted Freida. She raised her hands up, “But he would have loved this party. He was such a socialite. More than me.” She smiled gently.

Charlotte apologized, “I’m so sorry.”

“I-I didn’t know,” Hannah explained.

Freida looked up surprised, “Oh no! I’m just glad that I still have my daughter. They were both in the car when it went into the bay. Annalise is just like her father too. So it’s almost as if he’s still here,” She smiled brightly and asked, “So I heard both of you have children right?”

Charlotte nodded, “Two. Franziska and Elisabeth.”

“Jonas,” Hannah said, “Just Jonas.”

Annalise and Jonas continued chatting and getting to know each other more thoroughly. He was very surprised about how much he was able to learn about her and how alike they truly were, yet so different. Why had it taken him this long to actually try to get to know her? He guessed it was because the both of them were so focused on himself that she kind of fell to the wayside that she just instinctively knew was for her. Like she was helping lead him through this journey to find each other and themselves again through all the chaos and devastation. Like how he was this safe place for her now, she was the safe place for him both in his past and future.

When they got back to Regina’s hotel, she pulled away from their walking embrace and said, “Well, this is my stop. Thank you so much. I- … Do you live and go to school here?”

Jonas nodded, “Yeah. I do actually.” He beamed, forgetting that he was actually there to prevent his existence.

“Awesome,” Annalise beamed. A pink glow brushed her cheeks. She bit her lip.

His heart started to race. His eyes darted from her lips back up to her eyes, then back again. He could tell she was doing the same. He smiled and he pressed his fingers to his lips gently then pointed to her. She giggled and nodded stepping a bit closer to him. Jonas wrapped one arm around the small of her back and used his other hand to cup her face. He tenderly placed his lips against hers. Her lips were so warm and soft. His eyes closed. He could feel her arms wrap themselves around his neck. He smiled within the kiss. He finally had the kiss with her where neither one of them was crying.

Annalise kissed the boy. He was so passionate and romantic. She slowly deepened the kiss. She couldn’t believe her odds of having her first kiss be one of those movie kisses. It was just like how she always imagined she wanted her first kiss to be. There was this deep connection there. Slowly, she realized she was breathless, but she didn’t want to pull away. He felt as if he knew more than he let on and she wanted to be a part of that. Her fingers tangled themselves in his hair not wanting this boy to disappear from her. He brought her into a strange new world that she wanted to know everything about. This stranger was the closest thing to a living dream she had ever felt. She truly felt alive again, for the first time in a very very long time.

Jonas slowly pulled away from her. He took in a deep breath. Was he holding his breath the entire time? He smiled and chuckled seeing the look on her face matching his. He placed a quick peck against her lips, “I guess I will see you soon.”

Annalise nodded quickly. She watched as he slowly walked away, “Wait! What’s your name!?”

“Jon-” Jonas thought for a second realizing that it was probably a bad idea to give her his real name, “My name is Adam.”

Annalise smiled and promised, “I’ll be looking out for you then Adam!” She waved him off with the beautiful smile he had grown to love. That gorgeous smile that was the light in all of his dreams.

Jonas nodded. He looked towards his house then back at her. He rushed back to her and placed his forehead against hers. His hands cupping her cheeks to hold her with him. He took in a deep breath, taking in the moment. “You’ll always be with me,” Jonas kissed her head, “We were meant to be. This was meant to happen. I would be so lost if I hadn’t met you. Please never let me go.”

Annalise nodded. She placed her hands over his, “I think you were about to leave though. If you really need to leave, I’d hate to be the thing holding you back from what you needed to do. It won’t be too long. I’ll be back in a month. I promise.” She pulled his hand away to kiss his fingertips.

Jonas smiled. He had a hard time leaving her and this moment. He chuckled as his fingers combed through her hair. This was the happiest he had been in a long time. He wanted to hold onto it for as long as possible. To surrender himself to the love between them, but she was right. He had to fix this and with any luck, they would find each other again, in the next life.

Freida smiled as she and Katharina walked around the party once more. She giggled and commented, “Your family really does seem like it would help Annalise back on her feet. Ever since losing Lukas, it’s felt as if I lost both of them that night.”

Katharina wrapped her arm around Freida’s, “Of course! I promise I will treat her as one of my own.” They walked together and spotted Jonas and Martha. Katharina leaned over to the woman and giggled, “You see, over there is Jonas, Hannah’s son. You’ve already met Martha earlier. They all hang out together with another boy Bartosz. So I can guarantee she will never be lonely. Plus from what you described. Mikkel is going to adore her. You said she’s gotten her shots and is going to be fine if exposed to rubella?”

Freida nodded, “Yeah. We have vaccines for it. So she can actually come over and meet all of you tomorrow. I’m actually a bit shocked. Annalise said she was going to meet up with your kids, but now she’s texting me about meeting some boy and accidentally losing time? I have no idea what she’s thinking.”

Michael stood in his studio and smiled. There smiling back at him was a painted Annalise. It was one of his only ones with actual colors in it. The pinks, burnt oranges, blues, and purples seemed to fit her perfectly. He stood back to admire his work. He started to bring it down with him to get a better look at it in the light when he heard the door open and close.

2020 Jonas walked into his family home as the storm brewed. The floor creaked beneath his feet. He walked into his room to see everything the same from what it was that day.

“Jonas,” Michael asked, walking into the boy’s room. The man laughed and said, “I thought I heard someone. How come you’re not at the Nielsens’?” When Jonas turned to him, Michael could recognize that pained look on his son’s face, “Did something happen?”

Jonas limped over to his father and wrapped his arms around him. He started to sob into the man. The boy was just so thankful to be there with his father. He missed him so much.

“Hey,” Michael soothed, rocking them side to side. He wrapped his arms around his son and asked, “Everything okay?” He ran his hand down his hair. He played with it for a second before asking, “What’s with your hair?”

Jonas lifted his head away but left his hands resting on his father’s neck for a second. As he stared at him, Jonas slowly started to be reminded of why he was there. Behind his father, Jonas also noticed something. The painting he had paid no attention to before. He knew what, or rather, who it was now. He pulled away completely and commented, “I know.”

Michael chuckled and shook his head, “What do you know?”

“I know everything,” Jonas commented.

Michael started to become even more confused, “What?”

Tears filled Jonas’s eyes as he held out his fist towards his father and asked, “Ultimate fist bump?”

Michael’s heart started to race. He looked down at his son’s fist then back into Jonas’s eyes. A small whisper passed his lips, “What?” He started to back away. He stammered out, “Why did you just say that?”

“Because I know, Dad,” Jonas cried, “I know everything.” He nodded towards the painting left outside his bedroom door, “I know that’s Annalise.” Jonas looked up at his father and said, “ and I know your real name is Mikkel Nielsen.” He shook his head as his voice started to shake, “It’s okay.” He started to limp towards him.

Michael started to cry, “Please forgive me.” He leaned into his son’s embrace.

Mikkel walked down the stairs to his mother’s party as Ulrich was giving a slide show. He walked right past Jonas and told Katharina, “I can’t sleep.”

Katharina put a hand on her son’s head and said, “You’re burning up.” She looked to Freida who nodded. Katharina whispered, “Thank you” to the woman as she watched Freida whisper to Ulrich what was going on. She then watched her walk out of the house to go and check on her own daughter and to meet the Tiedemanns. Katharina sighed as she picked up her son and walked with him back up the stairs with him. She gently placed him down on the bed, “There you go.” She tucked him in and kissed his forehead, “Sleep well. If you go to sleep, you’ll get to your surprise tomorrow faster. Night night.”

“Can you stay here till I fall asleep,” Mikkel asked his mother.

Katharina let out a small sigh. She tilted her head and told him, “Slide over.”

Mikkel smiled and slid over so that he and Katharina could hold each other.

“So you’re from the future then,” Michael asked his scarred son. He shook his head and let out a single laugh. He messed with his hands and asked, “And why are you here now?”

Jonas looked at him and said, “Because I need to ask you for something.”

Michael asked, “What?”

“Not to do it,” Jonas asked him.

Michael shook his head, “Not to do what?”

Jonas looked at his father confused, “It’s Ulrich and Katharina’s anniversary. You didn’t go along, like always. You stayed here. But something was different.” Jonas shook his head at himself, “I should’ve noticed something was up.”

“Jonas,” Michael told him, “I have no idea what…”

“Don’t lie to me,” Jonas yelled at him, “I know! God fucking damn it!” He started to cry again, “I know you’ll hang yourself in the studio. Have you already written the letter?”

Michael stared at his son as if he had no clue what the boy was going on about. He shook his head, “What letter?”

“You write a letter to me,” Jonas shook his head, “Not to me, but to the younger me.” He took it out and slammed it on the table, “The one marked: ‘Do not open before November 4, 10:13 p.m.’ The very minute you vanish.” Michael took the letter and started to skim it. As he did, Jonas said, “I’m here so you don’t do it.” His face was red from how much he was crying. Jonas just shook his head again, “It’s all intertwined. Like an endless loop. But you… you killing yourself, that’s the start.” Michael closed the letter and slowly slid it to Jonas. Jonas put it into his pocket and put his hands over his father’s, “Please promise me you won’t do it. Dad, you have to promise me. Please. Promise.”

Martha walked into her room leading the younger Jonas. She closed the door behind them and locked the door. She giggled and held out his towel to him, “You forgot this at the lake.”

Jonas took it, “Oh, thanks.”

Martha stood just inches away picking at her fingers, “I thought about what you said at the lake.” Her lips trembled.

“About grandmas? And the internet?” Jonas asked confused about what she was trying to talk about.

Martha laughed and paused for a moment. She whispered to him as she leaned forward, “I think you were right.” She slowly let her lips approach his for a kiss. They pulled each other closer excited for each other.

Thunder rolled as Jonas asked his father, “The day you disappeared, you were there and then suddenly gone. Did you go back to the cave? How did you find the passage there?”

Michael shook his head, “I didn’t find it. Someone showed it to me.”

“Who,” asked Jonas.

Michael looked at him, “You.”

Jonas shook his head, “What do you mean?”

“We were by the caves,” Michael started to recount his memories, “There was a strange noise. We were all sure someone was there. We ran. Then I lost you. I turned around and you were gone. But suddenly you were back again. You said there was something there, in the forest. Something evil. And that we had to return to the cave. You brought me all the way to the door and through the tunnel. I was so afraid. But you held my hand. And then you said, ‘We have to stay here, all night, but when the morning comes everything will be alright.’ And when I woke up, you were gone. All these years I’ve tried to understand why you did that. But then, at some point it all just faded away. It became more unreal, like a dream.”

Jonas’s lips trembled as he spoke, “But that’s impossible. I never did that.”

Michael sighed and said, “I saw myself today. Mikkel. It’s all returning. The coat, you. As if it’s all falling into place. Maybe you’re not here to stop me at all.” Jonas started to hyperventilate. His panic rose through him as Michael told the boy, “But rather to show me what it is I have to do. Maybe you only showed me the letter, so I know what’s in it, so I go and you live.”

Jonas started to cry. His head violently shook, “No, that can’t be. That can’t be. He told me I could stop the origin. If you don’t kill yourself, none of the rest will happen.”

Michael nodded, “But if none of the rest happens, you won’t be born. And maybe your role in all this is much greater than you think. And perhaps, I’m just a small part of a huge cancer that is much greater than any of us can imagine.”

Jonas’s breath shook out of him as he confessed, “Someone has said that to me before.”

Michael looked at his son, “Who?”

“Me,” Jonas whispered.

Michael grabbed onto the boy and placed his forehead against his son’s. He whispered, “God doesn’t err. He has a plan. For each of us.” He pet the boy’s head.

Claudia walked into the house and told the boy in the yellow raincoat, “I’ve waited a long time for the moment we’d meet again.”

“Who are you,” Jonas asked, “Are you with Adam?”

Claudia explained, “There are two sides out there. He is darkness. I don’t follow him, I follow the light. He lied to you. He brought you here to trigger everything so that it happens as it always has.”

Jonas shook his head, “No that can’t be. Adam wants this too!”

“No he doesn’t,” She told him, “He doesn’t want to fix things. He wants to destroy them forever.” Jonas looked at Michael as she told the boy, “Your role in all of this is much greater than you believe. Only you alone can put an end to all this.”

Jonas asked, “What does that mean?”

Claudia told him, “We’re at war and you have to wage it against yourself. Against Adam.”

“But if I don’t exist,” Jonas tried to explain, “if I’m not born, then Adam won’t exist either.”

Claudia shook her head, “I’ve seen a world without you. Believe me, it isn’t what you’re expecting. There are times in your life when you must see that the decisions you make affect more than your own destiny. This isn't about you and Mikkel. This is about everyone. Your mother. Your friends. Annalise. You alone can save them.”

He shook his head. He didn’t see her graves with the rest of them, “What does that mean?”

“We all make sacrifices,” Claudia explained, “Your father must make sacrifices too.”

Michael looked at Jonas and tried to comfort him, “It’s okay.”

The storm raged on. Annalise stared out the window of her hotel room. She looked down at her phone and dialed a number. Her father’s picture popped up as she called him. Lukas’s voice rang through the room.

“Hey! This is Lukas Dahlheim. If you are getting this, I’m either at work or with my two beautiful girls both of which are very important. Please leave a message and I’ll get back to you… Oh and my darlings, if this is you, please know that I always love you and I miss you.”

Annalise started to cry, “Hey Dad. I miss you so much.” She sobbed and watched as her tears hit the ground, “I just called to let you know I had my first kiss today.” She laughed as tears continued to flow out from her eyes, “I wish you could have met him Dad. His name is Adam and he reminds me so much of you and mom. You would love him just as much as I’ve fallen for him.” She took in a breath and sobbed again, “Well, anyway. I love you Dad. I’ll see you later okay? Bye.” She hung up and let her hand that held the phone drop as it played the Krewella song Lukas told her to play when she missed him.


	17. Chapter 17

_People are particular creatures. All their actions are driven by desire,_

Adam looked up from his sadness to see Annalise and Martha staring at him. Martha in a pitch black dress and Annalise in a pure white one. Both of their faces were the same though. Both held disdain, anger, and disappointment across them. Martha sat in the chair across from him as Annalise slowly stood from her sitting position on the arm of the chair to walk towards him. She placed a hand on his teary cheek. Even in her hauntings, she was still his guardian angel. 

_Their characters are forged by pain._

Stranger Jonas slept in his bed holding Annalise down under him. His shoulder was all bloodlied from the girl’s earlier desperate means to try and escape. Now though, she lay completely exhausted under the man who was once the boy she loved. Her head tilted so that the top of her head touched his as their breathing synchronized. 

_As much as they might try to suppress the pain, to repress desire,_

Hannah started at them. She felt horrible, but she knew what she needed to do. The woman didn’t really want to leave Annalise behind, but she had to. Hannah couldn’t continue to ruin lives here as she’d been doing for all these years. She stood and took the time machine with her, away from the two of them asleep in her son’s bed. Hannah looked up to see a ghostly form of Ulrich staring at her.

_They cannot liberate themselves from the eternal servitude to their feelings._

Martha looked at the old pictures of Jonas and herself. She felt as if he was still there with her. The phantom of the boy’s innocent standing just a bit in her room with her, watching her. Helping her slowly come to terms with what was happening and what she herself needed to accept. 

_As long as the storm rages within them, they can find no peace._

Katharina sat in her lost son’s room. She looked over to her son’s favorite chair to see him sitting there. He felt so close, yet he was so far from her.

_Not in life, not in death. And so, day after day, they will do all that must be done. Pain is their ship. Desire is their compass. All that humankind is capable of._

It was the 26th of June. There was one day left before the Apocalypse. In 1954, the police looked over the older Claudia’s evidence.

“The deceased woman is 5’7”,” the coroner explained to the two officers with him, “Caucasian. Probably 75 to 80 years old. Cause of death, a shot to the chest. The eyes are notable. One blue, One brown.” Egon slowly wandered up to look at the woman’s eyes to confirm. This was the same woman he had seen not too long ago. The coroner continued, “It’s known as heterochromia.”

“This woman,” Egon stated, “she...She was at the police station. The same day Helge reappeared.”

Daniel blinked and shivered for a moment. He shook his head and asked, “And?”

Egon explained, “She was confused. Not entirely there. She apologized for something… I… I didn’t understand for what.”

Daniel shifted and pointed at the dead woman. He asked, “The same day Helge came back?” When Egon gave him a small nod, Daniel told him, “Maybe she’s the madman’s accomplice. Could be his mother. And she had Helge with her the whole time.”

“There’s something else,” The coroner interrupted, “I only happened upon it by chance. Her body is heavily contaminated.” Once the officers heard that and the radiation detector going off, they took a step back. The coroner outlined that this radiation was all over her body, “She must’ve been exposed to heavy radiation for a prolonged period.”

Daniel shook his head perplexed, “Peculiar.”

The coroner shrugged, “Perhaps she was a radiographer?”

The police chief made a face and nodded. He looked at Egon and told him, “Visit the Doppler boy. Show him her photo. Maybe he’ll recognize her.”

Egon nodded and went off to do just that.

In 1987, Claudia spoke into the microphone, “The date indicates that the particle regularly decays into two protons, at a mass of 125 gigaelectronvolts.” She flipped through more of the notes on the God Particle so that she can record her findings. She sighed and continued her long tedious work, “In one case, however, it decayed into four muons.”

Yasmin walked into her boss’s office and looked at Claudia, “You’re already here?”

Claudia paused the recording and started to look around realizing how long she must have been doing this, “I must have lost track of time.” She looked up and asked her secretary, “What day is it?”

Yasmin took a step forward as she stuttered in confusion, “It’s...eh… the 26th of June.” When she looked at her boss grab her date book, she asked, “Did you spend all night here?”

Claudia found exactly what she was looking for. She pulled out the article about her father’s death, “June 26th…” 

The other woman asked her boss, “Is something wrong?” When she saw Claudia start to rush to leave, Yasmin plead with her, “I rescheduled the meeting with the French for this morning.” When Claudia rushed past her, she asked, “Ms. Tiedemann?”

In 2020, Two of the pieces trapped within this tragic knot slept. The middle Jonas slowly awoke. He let out a tender sigh seeing Annalise passed out next to him. He moved his face closer to hers to place a gentle kiss against her temple. When he did, he felt her wiggle under his body. He allowed her to turn over and wrap his arm around her as if he were simply a blanket to keep herself warm. He let out a small chuckle. It was nice seeing her so calm after yesterday. This sweet moment would last long though because soon his brain processed something was missing. He sat up in terror awaking Annalise. When the girl groaned at him, he hushed her and tucked her back into bed. He slid out the bed and gave her a small kiss on her temple again, “Go back to sleep, my love. You need your rest.” He watched her lull back into sleep once more as he used his fingers to brush her hair. Once she was asleep once more, Jonas stood and grabbed his clothes heading towards Hannah’s room. As he got dressed he called out, “Mom?” The room was tidy and looked as if she had already left. Jonas let out a small growl realizing what must have happened.

Hannah stood at the entrance of the cave with the suitcase, before slowly walking in. 

Katharina lifted her shirt sleeve to look at the tattoo of her and Ulrich’s initials on her arm. She touched it lightly before turning to look at his notes on the Nuclear Power Plant and what was behind that door. She grabbed her jacket and walked out.

Peter stared at the polaroid of his wife as a baby being held by Noah. Charlotte whispered, “It all has to do with me.” The man looked at his wife as she told him, “Noah said the world will end tomorrow. And that only people in the bunker will survive.” They both sighed as Peter tossed the picture onto their coffee table. Charlotte continued to explain, “And he said she’s alive.” The woman started to cry as she whimpered out, “My mother.”

As this was happening, Clausen got the news that there was only one Aleksander Kohler in that time. He started to say, “And then my eyes saw, the ears heard, and nothing remained concealed.” He looked up at the woman who handed him the documents and told her, “Tell Mr. Woller.”

Magnus looked at the group and said, “We have to tell someone.”

“Who,” Bartosz asked him annoyed, “And what exactly?”

Magnus looked at his sister who was turned away from them. She held a picture of Jonas in her hands. He asked the girl, “Do you have anything to say?”

Martha looked back at the group and told them, “I think he’s here.”

“Who,” Magnus demanded.

Martha sighed and took a step closer towards them, “Jonas. I think Bartosz is right. He’s back.”

Annoyance grew within Bartosz. He growled at her, “We traveled through time and that’s all that fucking interests you?”

“You said he’s a part of it,” she yelled at him, “Unlike you, he might know what this all means! Why don’t you think your precious princess Annalise isn’t fucking here? Huh? Maybe he knows where Dad or Mikkel is or who knows what!”

Franziska sighed and interrupted their quarrel calmly, “Magnus is right.” She looked at Martha trying to get through to her, “We have to tell someone.” She explained to Martha’s back, “Everyone has been up to their own shit for months.” She looked down and whimpered, “Everyone’s silent.” Magnus looked down at his phone causing Franziska to look at Bartosz, “What good has that done? None at all.”

Bartosz looked down guiltily and compiled with the small redhead, “Okay. Then we should do it.”

“We,” Martha asked frustrated with the boy, “There is no ‘we.’ There never has been.”

“What is that supposed to mean,” The boy asked defensively.

“You knew what was going on for months,” wailed Martha, “And YOU never told me or anyone else here!” When everyone stared at her and didn’t turn on the boy as they had earlier, she turned and walked away, “Do whatever you want.”

In 1954, Greta told the police, “I hope it won’t take too long. Helge is still very exhausted.”

Egon nodded and quickly reached into his suit pocket. He handed it to the boy and asked, “Do you know this woman?”

When Helge didn’t reply, Greta told him, “Answer the sergeant.”

Egon soothed the boy, “Were you with her maybe? Did she lock you in?”

“He told me about her,” Helge said, remembering David, “The White Devil.”

Egon knelt to the boy’s level in surprise. He whispered his question to the small boy, “Who? Who told you about her? The man who did that to you?” Helge looked as if he was going to cry so the man stopped pushing the question. He smiled and tried to lighten the mood, “The White Devil. Tell me about her.”

“She wants to kill us,” Helge told him looking up at the man, “All of us.”

Egon shrugged and tried to comfort Helge, “She’s dead. She can’t hurt anyone anymore.”

“But she hasn’t even started yet,” Helge countered him.

Egon’s face slowly dropped at Helge’s seriousness.

In 1987, Claudia rang her dad’s doorbell. She burst into his apartment and tried to plea with him, “We discussed you moving in with us. Have you already forgotten?”

“You said I should think it over,” Egon countered, confused by his daughter’s rush on trying to get him to move.

Claudia tried to figure out a way to convince her stubborn father, “I just thought… why waste time? Then you’ll be out of here.”

Egon laughed and shook his head, “I like it here. I have to go to the hospital. It’s my first chemo.”

Claudia walked towards him with baited breath, “Can I… May I maybe join you? That is, only if you’d like.”

Egon slowly smiled and nodded, “Yeah.” He thought a bit before continuing, “That'd be nice.”

Claudia smiled at him, hopeful that the article was soon going to be obsolete.

“What do you want here,” Aleksander asked Clausen 33 years after Claudia and Egon’s conversation, “I’ve already told you everything.”

Clausen nodded, “I’d like you to look at something. Mr. Woller?”

When Woller handed him the paper, Aleksander asked, “What is this?” The man slowly started to open the document in his hand.

“A copy of a document from the Marburg Registry Office,” The man explained, “The info on your last ID before you left Marburg.”

Aleksander smiled at the man, “I have no idea how this is relevant.”

Clausen shook his head, “Nothing stands out?”

Aleksander looked at the paper then shrugged, “No. What should stand out?”

“5’6”, I’d say… Tops.” Clausen described, “That document says 5’8”. So where are they? The two inches.”

Aleksander closed the paper and tried to hand it back to Clausen, “This is ridiculous.”

The man sighed, “I’m arresting you. On suspicion of identity theft.”

Aleksander shook his head, “You can’t.”

The older Jonas sat at the table looking through the pictures Hannah and Annalise had tried to start reorganizing when there was a knock on the door. This made him jump then turn his head towards the stairs to see if Annalise was disturbed from her hibernation. He heard Martha’s voice calling. She was so loud. He slowly walked towards the door and opened it figuring there was nothing else he could do to make her not wake the girl upstairs.

Martha stopped when she saw a bearded man open the door. She was taken aback, “Who are you?”

“Please come in,” He led the girl inside.

She followed him inside and looked around. The man stood a good bit away from her, but she was still nervous. There was no sign of Hannah nor Annalise. She looked at him and said, “I wanted to talk with Hannah.” He seemed so familiar, yet she knew that there was no possible way for her to have known him.

Jonas nodded and motioned, “She’s not here and Lise is asleep.” He shifted uncomfortably and asked, “Do you want a drink?” Watching Martha back away from him, the man asked, “Do I scare you?”

Martha’s brow furrowed, “I think I’m just having deja vu or something.” She turned to leave, “I’m going.”

“A glitch in the matrix,” Jonas called after her.

Martha stopped. She turned back to him and whispered, “What?”

Jonas nodded and said, “Or a message from the beyond. You read that somewhere.”

“How do you know that,” she started to approach him. She slowly started to look at him. She started to realize who he reminded her of, but it wasn’t possible. Her eyes watered as she whispered, “Jonas?”

“Do you think I was a good police officer,” Egon asked his daughter 33 years prior. 

Claudia comforted him, “Oh, Dad. No idea.” They sat as he got his chemo treatment. The daughter continued, “I’m sure you were good at what you did.”

Egon sighed and shook his head, “Actually, I don’t think so.” He turned his head and held out his hand for his daughter. Claudia slowly put her hand into his and squeezed. The man smiled, “You were always different.” Claudia started to cry as the man continued, “You saw the world differently from the very start. Sometimes I think… that that’s my problem… That I can’t see the world as it truly is. I think I did something very, very stupid.”

“What do you mean,” Claudia asked, shaking her head.

Egon bit his tongue and asked, “Do you know that film… The one with the young man who has this car that can take him to the past? I know this sounds crazy, but… the stuff in that movie… I think it really exists. Time travel. And somehow it all has to go with Mads and Helge. And with things that happened over 30 years ago.”

Young Egon walked through the station when he was stopped by another officer to be told there was a woman there claiming she knew things about the man who killed the boys. He slowly walked into his office to see a beautiful woman sitting in a chair waiting for him. She turned to see him.

Hannah turned towards the man and nodded. “Hello,” she greeted him.

Egon walked to his desk and sat. He raised his brow and asked, “How can I help you?”

“I…” Hannah started, “I’m looking for my husband. It was in the paper. The dead children. And the photo. There was a photo. I think it’s my husband.” 

Upon hearing this, Egon looked through the files on his desk until he found Ulrich’s. He opened it and took out his photo and placed it in front of her. He nodded towards it and asked, “Is that your husband?”

Martha and the Older Jonas sat staring at each other. They listened to the water running upstairs for a second before Martha turned to him and asked, “Where were you all this time?”

He sighed and said, “I promised you I’d make it alright again.” He sat back and whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

Martha put her hand over his, stopping him. When he looked up, he watched a stray tear roll down her face as she rubbed her hand up his arm. “Suddenly, it all makes sense,” she whispered. She caressed the side of his face with tears forming, “Once you know, it’s obvious.” She sighed and pulled away.

A bang on the door interrupted them causing them to hear a large fall from upstairs. “Hannah,” Katharina yelled as she banged on the door.

Jonas held Martha back, “Please don’t get that.” 

As Katharina barged down the door, she spotted Martha behind the older Jonas. “Martha,” She asked, confused. She never would have thought of seeing her daughter here. She stormed over and grabbed her daughter’s wrist and flung her behind herself. She sneered at Jonas as she asked Martha, “You know who this is? Hm? Did he tell you where your brother is? Huh?” 

As she was yelling at Martha, Annalise slid down the banister effortlessly and hopped off in between Katharina and Jonas. Seeing Katharina’s face and pause, Annalise just waved her hand, “Oh, don’t stop on account of me. I want to see this play out.” She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bagel as Martha stared baffled at the girl in Jonas’s old clothes.

Katharina glared at everyone then sneered at Annalise, “Why don’t you continue this?” Right when it seemed like Annalise was going to open her mouth to say something, Katharina turned to her daughter, “Did he tell you WHO your brother is?” She turned and pointed, “That man is your brother’s son. My grandson, your nephew. Mikkel is Michael Kahnwald! You hear me, Martha? And you’re his aunt!”

Martha looked between Katharina, Annalise, and Jonas. There was so much going on. She shook her head when Jonas himself started to apologize only to confirm her worst fears. She looked at Annalise who looked completely dead, lost all emotion and reaction, sitting at the table eating a bagel as if this was all just something that had to happen and she had no way to stop it. She looked as if a phantom in the space. There to affect things in only miniscule ways and never directly involve herself with the living. Martha started to wonder if her friend ever did truely come back or if they were all simly mass hallucinating or wishing she was there. That they all had gone so far down into grief that they had all gone mad.

“Where is your time machine,” Katharina asked the man, “The one you travel through time with?”

Annalise finally finished half her bagel and walked between the angry woman and the tearful Older Jonas, “Hannah has it.” She shrugged and made a hand gesture of something ‘poofing’, “She vanished.”

Katharina shook her head, “Tell me how to get Mikkel back.”

Martha walked forward and said, “Mom! Magnus has the device.”

“What,” Katharina and Annalise turned to look at Martha.

Martha nodded, “We travelled with it.”

Katharina looked at her daughter, “You were there?” She walked away from the other two and approached Martha, “Did you see Mikkel?”

“Mikkel,” Martha whispered.

Katharina turned towards Jonas and said, “Keep your filthy fingers off my daughter. You got me?” She turned and grabbed Martha’s hand dragging the girl away. She slammed the door closed behind her, ending the conversation.

Annalise and Jonas sighed. She looked at the man and asked, “Will you be okay?” Tears welled into her eyes. Instead of answering, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into an embrace. He kissed the side of her head as she cried into his chest. Slowly her cries turned into screaming. She started pulling away from him and slowly sunk into the ground screaming. He crept around her and wrapped himself around her as she tried to cling to the slowly slipping away hope that none of this was really happening.

“Your husband never confessed,” Egon explained to Hannah as they drove, “He kept insisting that he wanted to save the children. You and your husband. You have children, right?”

Hannah shook her head, “No.”

“No,” Egon asked, “Strange. He kept saying he’s looking for his son. This may seem a bit odd, but… Have you ever heard of the White Devil?”

Hannah turned towards him suppressing a laugh, “No. What is that supposed to be?”

Egon turned his head towards the road once more and asked, “If he talks to you… That is, if he should talk to you, persuade him to talk to the police. Persuade him to confess.”

“And the man came from the future,” Claudia asked her father in 1987, “Back to 1953? That’s when you arrested him? And yesterday, that man tried to kidnap the boy?”

“No,” Egon replied, “Not that man. I mean… the same man. But older.”

Claudia asked, “Because that was his alleged son?”

Egon shrugged, “I know. It all sounds completely insane.”

Claudia asked, “The man, the old man. Where is he now?”

Egon shook his head, “Back in psychiatric care.”

“That’s it,” Claudia told her father, “You’re moving in with us. We are going get your things.”

“So you believe me,” Egon asked her.

The rest of the group sat at the Dopplers’ with the device in front of them. Peter spoke up and asked, “So you traveled with it? To what year?” He looked angry. Magnus, Franziska, and Elisabeth really didn’t know what to tell the man. Peter yelled, “To what year?!”

Seeing her mother study her, Franziska stood up annoyed, “So this is what’s going on? You knew about this time travel shit? Why didn’t you say anything?”

Magnus’s phone started to ring. He looked at his girlfriend and explained, “Martha.” He then answered his phone telling his sister that he had the device and that they were at Franziska’s. He paused for a moment and told her, “Yes. I’ll be right home. You what? Who?” He pulled the phone away from his face and stood up, “Jonas is back. Like Bartosz said.” He looked at Franziska confused, “But he’s older.”

“You guys should stay out of it,” said Charlotte.

Franziska started to sneer at her mother and father, “Unbelievable. So you two knew it too. That’s exactly what ruins everything! All your fucking secrets! You couldn’t even talk to us when Dad screwed Benni! What incompetent assholes you are!” Franziska stormed out of the room.

Hannah walked through the jailhouse to Ulrich’s cell. She had convinced Egon to let her have five minutes alone with the man. Her heart hurt seeing the bloodied and bruised man before her in chains. He couldn’t even look up at her for a minute. She had to coax him to look up at her.

“Are you an angel,” the man asked her. He was so defeated. He just wanted to go home. He started to cry when he asked again if it were really her and when she confirmed it. He smiled for the first time in eight months, but slowly started to sob. He asked about his family.

This broke Hannah’s heart. She caressed his cheek and asked him definitively, “If you could choose today, between Katharina and me?”

“What do you mean,” Ulrich whispered, “Why?”

Hannah spoke, “Back when we were together, you… I… I tried to remember if you… if you ever said, ‘I love you’ to me.”

Ulrich responded quickly, “I loved you. I still love you. Get me out and I’ll leave Katharina. I love you. Okay? I love you.”

Hannah told him, “He said I need no one, but the truth is you don’t need me.”

Ulrich started to beg, “But I do Hannah. Please. I love you. Please get me out of here. I’ll do anything you want.”

Hannah turned and left him causing him to yell after her calling her a liar and that he needed to get out of there.

Katharina stared at the family picture with Mikkel. Martha slowly walked over to her mother, “Mom?” She held the woman from behind and started to cry, “Everything will be fine okay?”

Magnus walked in interrupting the moment. Katharina turned to him and asked, “Do you have the machine?” The boy slowly revealed it to his mother. She turned and asked, “Do you know how to use it?”

“I don’t,” Magnus admitted, “Bartosz used it.”

Katharina closed it up and walked out of the house. Martha looked at Magnus with hope in her eyes, “They’re alive. Mikkel. Dad..” 

Magnus searched his sister’s face, “What?”

“They are just not here,” Martha explained, “They’re in another time.”

Claudia and Egon walked into his apartment and Claudia told him to grab his pills and they would get everything else later. Egon slowly grabbed the pills and started to talk about Ulrich once more. He started to piece together that there must be something in the caves that Ulrich wanted. He looked at her and started to back away, “You knew about time travel… It must have something to do with the power plant… You’re involved in all of this.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Claudia told her father.

“We have to have the caves searched,” Egon concluded.

“There’s nothing in the caves,” Claudia yelled, “There is no time travel!” She looked down. Egon walked to the phone and started to call the police when Claudia stopped him. As they fought over the phone, he fell causing him to bash his head into the counter. She started to cry as she realized that she was going to have to let her father go. That he was the sacrifice she needed to make for her daughter to live.

With his last breath, Egon strained, “You’re the White Devil.” Claudia cried over her father as she watched him fade away.

The young Egon sat with Hannah speaking with her, sparking their cigarettes like their new romance. Claudia walked out of her father’s apartment. The older Claudia became covered in a sheet by the coroner signifying that her case was closed. Katharina sat in Mikkel’s room trying to figure out the machine. Martha lay in bed thinking of the two across town. Annalise snuggled to the older Jonas trying to stop crying.

Claudia walked inside of her home and found a note from Regina. She walked to her sink and cried as she washed her father’s blood from her hands. The woman sobbed as everything hit her more. She slid to the floor crying. Soon she heard a door open. A boy with a hood walked in. She asked, “Who are you? Why do you have a key to my home?”

Jonas slowly took off his hood and told her, “You gave it to me before you left. We’ve got to go. There isn’t much time. I know what you did. She told me.” He walked to her and held her, “But she also said it didn’t have to happen that way again. Next time.” He pulled away and led her out, “We’re going to the future.”


	18. The End is The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the 'end' of part one of the series! Every Chapter after this is more like "extras"/Background information about how the knot works and how this world formed in the Knot as well as the next world! I hope all of you enjoyed Part One! Part Two is titled [ (They Long to Be) Close to You.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26605555/chapters/64869082) I will link it [ here ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26605555/chapters/64869082) when I finish uploading it! Anyway, enjoy! See all of you very soon!

It started to snow once more in 2053, Elisabeth knew what this meant. She unburied her box and pulled out the picture of her family along with her beanie. She looked at pictures of herself, Noah, and the baby of her mother. 

_The Beginning is the End._

In 2020, Charlotte lay with her daughter watching her sleep in the middle of her and Peter.

_And the end is the beginning._

Charlotte stood up to walk out of the room.

_Everything is interconnected. Future, past, and present._

Noah looked at his younger version and told him, “I’ve reflected on this moment for many years. My older me wanted to tell me something, but he couldn’t.” He looked at Hanno and told him, “If you knew what I now know, then you would no longer do what you must so I can get to this moment. Me, as I stand here now, cannot exist if you don’t take the same path as I did. We’re not free in what we do, because we are not free in what we desire.”

Magnus and Franziska opened the door. Magnus told them, “Everything is ready.”

Noah nodded to the boy and said, “You must go.”

Hannos nodded and walked into the room followed by Magnus and Franziska.

It was the 27th of June in the year 2020. It was the final day. The older Jonas stared at the clock. He had left Annalise to sleep upstairs. She had been tossing and turning all night so he knew she would still be asleep for some time. He knew what had to be done to prevent all of this from happening again. He opened the box and pulled out the pistol staring at the floor. He sighed, put the gun into his waistband, and walked out of the house determined to have this cycle stopped.

“My future me tried to shut the hole,” Jonas told Claudia, “to reverse it all. He shut the passage, but hadn’t broken the loop. But you said we can change a small part of the equation, so he… So I will be successful next time.” He shook his head, “Then none of this sick shit will ever happen. Mikkel won’t disappear. Michael won’t die.” He looked down then back at her, “Your father won’t die.” He walked towards the wall of radioactive waste, “Big and small things don’t abide by the same laws. Maybe nothing big can be altered.” Jonas grunted as he opened one of the crates, “but small things can.” He opened up his canister and explained, “We’re changing a grain of sand. And with it, the whole world.”

Regina lay in bed staring at the ceiling as her son asked her, “What was Grandma like? I mean, as a mother.”

“Why does that suddenly interest you,” She asked her son.

Bartosz turned his head towards her and said, “She isn’t dead, you know?” He sat on the edge of her bed.

“What do you mean,” she asked her son.

“She was here,” He explained, “Last fall.” He looked out towards the woods, “After Mikkel disappeared. She… She left something here.” Bartosz reached into his pocket and handed a picture to his mother, “For you.” Regina swallowed her pride and used her withering strength to sit up and open it. As she revealed that it was a picture of her and her mother, Bartosz continued, “She said she was sorry and that if she could turn back time, she’d do lots of things differently.” He watched as his mother’s jaw trembled trying to keep all the emotions inside. Bartosz gently grabbed his mother’s head so that he could place a gentle kiss on her forehead. He pulled away and told her, “I’ll be back. I promise.” He left his mother’s side and grabbed his jacket.

“Where are you going,” Regina asked her son.

Bartosz just turned to her and didn’t say anything. He walked out the house on his own mission.

Clausen flicked the search warrant towards Aleksander telling the man what it was. Aleksander looked up. His hair was completely a mess as he stated, “Special conditions apply to the plant.”

Clausen countered, “The judge issued the warrant immediately. I think, given the ongoing legal proceedings against you, he may be interested in what’s to be found there.”

Aleksander looked at him bewildered. He turned and watched as Clausen walked out. The man begged to Woller, “You have to let me out of here.”

“That’s impossible,” Woller relented, “I can’t do that.” He walked away leaving Aleksander there.

Aleksander yelled after him, “You can’t let him onto the site!”

Stranger Jonas banged on the Nielsens’ door. Upon seeing the girl’s face he told her, “Martha, I didn’t want any of this, believe me. Please listen…”

Martha whispered, “What are you doing here?” She pulled him inside quickly, “Come on.” Once inside, she asked, “Why are you here? What do you want?” 

“You have to come with me,” He begged, “Please. It’s my fault everyone dies. It’s all going to blow in a few hours. Annalise is going to try to kill you...”

Martha shook her head, “What?”

He slowly approached her, “Everything starts all over again. The future starts. A new cycle.”

Martha stared at him confused, “What are you talking about?”

“Please… Believe me, please,” The older Jonas begged his old love. He pressed his forehead against hers, “You have to trust me… Please.”

Martha hit his hands and pulled away quickly. She walked to the other side of the room. She started to heavily breathe, “This is wrong.” The girl started to shake her head. Annalise, though mad at her, would never go that far. She hugged herself and started to rub her arms. She shook her head and told him, “We’re wrong. Please leave now.”

The Stranger swallowed hard. He shook his head, “No.” He reached behind him and pulled out the gun. “I can’t let you stay. I saw the both of you die once. I won’t let it happen again.”

Martha begged him, “Jonas, please… Let me go.”

“I can’t,” He told her, “I promised to make this right. I’m making it right.”

There was only six hours left before the apocalypse, Annalise walked under the train tracks. She spotted Franziska and Magnus. She sighed and continued on her way to the meet up point. 

They both looked up at her. Magnus growled and rushed at the small teen. He grabbed Annalise and pushed her against the wall. “YOU KNEW,” He roared in her face. He slammed her against the wall again, “You knew and you didn’t tell us! You didn’t tell me!”

Annalise fought against the boy’s strong grip, “Fuck off! I didn’t know shit.” She curled her legs up and pushed her feet into his gut causing him to drop her onto the ground, “You really think I wouldn’t tell you if I knew anything about Mikkel and your dad?!” She started to cry, “I LOVED MIKKEL MORE THAN YOU AND MARTHA!” She pounced on the boy. Franziska tried to pull the other girl off of her boyfriend, but the other girl’s legs kept her cemented on top of him and Annalise hit him. “You two just left him,” she screamed, “You left him alone! You left me alone! Fuck you! Fuck your stupid sister. Fuck your goddamn mother who let me get tangled up in this! Fuck all of you!”

Franziska just finally punched Annalise on the side of her head, causing the girl to fall away from Magnus. She growled at the other girl and told her, “Leave!” She sneered and said, “You should have never came back.”

Annalise nodded and stormed away, “I wish I hadn’t. I wish I would have never even came to Winden. Could have drowned in the harbor with the one person who loved me.”

Magnus stood watching the girl leave. He panted. Part of him wanted to go to his friend and tell her that he was sorry, but he knew she wouldn’t accept it right now. He really did just blow up at her and she did just react back. He watched her leave before going sit down next to Franziska again.

It wasn’t long before Bartosz emerged. He looked at the two very clearly upset. He shook his head and then noticed the machine was gone. “Where’s the device,” He asked the two. When they didn’t respond, he asked again, “Where’s the fucking device?”

Magnus stood up and admitted, “My mom has it.”

Bartosz’s eyes widened. He looked down trying to calculate things, “That’s not right. It shouldn’t happen this way. It’s all my fault. Why didn’t Noah tell me what to do? Why didn’t he tell me it all? Explain the thing to me and doesn’t tell me what to do with it.” 

Franziska tried to comfort him, “Maybe you did exactly what you were supposed to do.” She stood up and said, “You showed us how it works. Maybe that was your sole task.”

“Fuck,” Bartosz whispered. Things that Noah had thinly veiled hinted towards him slowly came together, “Fuck!” He tripped as he tried to rush away.

Magnus asked him, “Where are you going?”

“To find the device,” Bartosz yelled, “And to find Annalise!”

Franziska looked at Magnus as they both ran after him.

“Hello,” Katharina called inside of the Kahnwald house. She walked inside. Seeing no one home, she climbed the stairs and investigated his things. She found his light and the map.

The younger Jonas led Claudia to the passage. She commented, “You said you wanted to shut the passage. In the future. Or the past… Your Future!”

Jonas stood and stared at her, “It took me ages to accept having to be part of the disaster I wanted to prevent.”

“How do you know all of this,” Claudia asked.

Jonas sighed as he explained, “In the last 12 months. You taught me everything, about the future and past. Everything that happened. Everything that will happen. There are two sides out there. Adam and Sic Mundus want to create a new world. You and I want to save this one.”

Claudia asked him, “Who is Adam?”

Jonas was silent as he tried to debate what he was going to tell the woman.

Adam sat in his chair staring at the time. He had all of this memorized by this point.

The Stranger forced Martha down into the bunker. She turned on the light and saw everything. “What is this,” Martha asked him.

The older Jonas let the gun down and explained, “The only safe place.” Martha growled as she tried to get past him. The man brought the gun back up and said, “Please. Don’t. Please.”

“Why are you doing this,” Martha barely made out.

The man explained, “Because I know what happens today.”

Martha started to cry, “The Mikkel story… Is it true?”

He nodded, “Yes. I didn’t want all this, Martha.” He started to cry, “She’s kept me alive. I’m still here because of that. Jonas will come back. It’ll all happen as it always had. But I can’t stop hoping I can change something. I have to.”

“Jonas will come back,” She asked.

The man approached her, “Promise me you won’t leave this bunker. No matter what happens.” He turned and walked out. Before he closed the heavy metal door, he told the girl, “I’m sorry.”

The younger Jonas crawled through the cave with Claudia close behind him. They stared into the darkness.

Clausen walked through the power plant. He paused at a door. He requested to go inside. Something inside of it called to him. He needed to go inside.

Katharina climbed down the stairs. On her way out, she spotted the photo album labeled, ‘Michael’ She picked it up. Her chest constricted. She took this time to sit and look through it. There in it’s pages was her son slowly growing up. Katharina started to cry. When Jonas walked in.

“Katharina,” He greeted the woman.

She put the album down. She walked to the device and plead with him, “How does the machine work?”

He shook his head, “Even if I explain it to you, it’s impossible.”

Katharina sneered, “You don’t want me to because then you wouldn’t exist.”

“I wish it were so simple,” the man explained, “Things in the past can’t be changed. Mikkel can’t return because I already exist.”

“Mikkel belongs here,” She started to yell, “Not you. You shouldn’t exist at all!”

Jonas nodded. He looked down at the box and whispered, “Yeah. I’d trade my life for his anytime. But I can’t die, because my future already exists. You’d be incapable of bringing Mikkel back.”

Katharina shook her head in confusion, “Then why did you return?”

“I tried to prevent the origin,” He explained, “But it’s impossible. I can’t. Adam is the endpoint. Maybe I can’t prevent myself from becoming what he is. But I can stop what has become of me.”

Adam stared at his painting as Noah entered the room.

“I know you lied to me,” Noah told the man. He strolled over to him and said, “You never meant to save them. None of them.”

Adam turned around, “We can’t escape our fate. Neither you nor I.”

Noah told him, “You aren’t raging a war against God.” He pulled out the last pages of the book and said, “You’re waging it against humanity.” He threw the last pages at him watching them rain down, “Here are the last pages. You used me.” Noah took out his pistol and told the man, “You had me do all these things, but I know now what I must do.” Noah cocked the gun and pointed it at Adam.

“Claudia was right,” Adam commented, “You still don’t understand how this game is played.” He stared down the gun and asked, “What are you waiting for?” Noah pulled the trigger, but it didn’t fire. Adam continued, “Time plays its cruel game with us. You believe your destiny is to kill me. But that is as little your fate as it is mine to die here and now.” He strolled over to his desk as Noah fiddled with the gun trying to make it go off. Adam grabbed the picture of Elisabeth and told the man, “Only when we’re free of all emotion are we truly free. Only when one is ready to sacrifice what one holds dearest.” He handed the man the picture and said, “Charlotte is your daughter. She is Elisabeth’s daughter and her mother. No human is without guilt. None of them have earned a place in your paradise.”

Noah turned to see Magnus, Franziska, and Agnes approach him. “Agnes,” He whispered to his sister.

“This knot,” Adam explained, “can only be undone by destroying it entirely.” Agnes grabbed the gun from her brother. “We can’t escape our destiny,” Adam explained. He nodded to the woman. She lifted up the pistol and shot her brother. Noah grunted then fell to the ground bleeding out and crying.

Hanno walked out of the church and continued on his way through 2020.

The young Jonas started up the machine. Blue particles arose into the air. Jonas commented, “It is time. We connect the past and future.”

Martha sat in the bunker. She glared at the door. She watched as the blue particles started to swirl in the room. Clausen was just about to enter the room as the lights flickered. Peter was driving with Elisabeth to the bunker as the birds rained down from the sky.

Katharina looked up and asked the man, “What is happening?”

The man replied, “It’s Jonas. He opened the passage again.”

“The thing Mikkel went through,” She asked.

The man nodded, “Yes.”

Katharina grabbed her bag and hurried out. Peter and Elisabeth ran into the bunker. Peter stopped when he saw Martha. He blinked and asked her, “Martha. Is everything okay? Who locked you down here?”

Martha ran past him despite his arguments. The teens stood in the Nielsen house as everything started to shake. 

“What was that,” Magnus asked Bartosz.

The boy looked up then to his friends and said, “Fuck.”

“It was the same noise as the one from in the cave,” concluded Franziska.

Bartosz shook his head, “Fuck. Did you get it?”

Magnus shook his head, “The device isn’t up there. Mom isn’t here and neither is Martha.”

“Do you think she’s with him,” Bartosz asked, “With Jonas? Noah was right. He was right about everything. I told you guys. Jonas is to blame for all this shit.”

Claudia and Jonas walked out of the cave. She asked him, “Where are we going?”

Jonas put down the suitcase and told her, “You have to take it to the bunker. Near Helge’s cabin. You don’t have much time.” He started to walk away. 

“And you,” she asked.

Jonas turned to her and said, “I have to find my mother and Annalise.” He turned and started his trek to his house ignoring Claudia calling his name behind him.

There was only two hours left.

Magnus called Martha once again, “Hey Martha! Call me back.” He looked at the group and said, “None of them are answering.”

Franziska looked down at her phone after receiving a text. She stood up and told the group, “My father is with Elisabeth in the bunker. He says I should join him.”

Bartosz pushed himself off the door frame as Magnus asked, “In the bunker?”

“Shit,” Bartosz said, “Something’s happening.”

“I have to go there,” Franziska told Magnus.

The boy debated within himself for a second before telling her, “If they’re not here in 30 minutes, we’ll go join your father.”

Elisabeth signed to her father, “Where’s Mom and Franziska?”

Peter held his daughter close after telling her, “I don’t know.”

Charlotte and Woller drove down to the power plant. They were going as fast as they could to try to stop Clausen. But alas, he was already inside staring at the pool that was concreted over. He looked at the engineer and told him to uncover it. 

Regina yelled over the phone trying to get in contact with her husband. She heard her mother’s voice. She turned to see Claudia standing there… but the way she looked in 1987.

Claudia begged her daughter to come with her to the bunker and to forgive her.

The older Jonas stared at the door with the gun in front of him. As the footsteps grew closer, he raised the gun. When he saw the boy, he lowered the gun, “Noah?”

“You look different,” Hanno told the man, “Well, different to when I saw you last.”

The man held up the gun as he growled, “He sent you. Adam.”

Hanno commented, “I always wondered when you became him.”

“I won’t do that,” Jonas seethed through his teeth, “I’ll never do what he did.”

Hanno sighed, “He said you’d say something like that.” He approached him, “He also said we’d become friends, before you’d betray me.”

The Stranger asked the boy, “Why do you follow him?”

“Why did you follow her,” Hanno asked, “Claudia? Because we want to believe. Because we cling to the salvation promised to us. If you kill him… You kill all hope of salvation.” He put his hand over the man’s and said, “He’s the savior.” He made the man lower the gun as he said, “You are the savior.” The boy took out a letter.

“What is that,” Jonas asked.

Hanno told the man, “Read it.”

Jonas took the letter and started to read it. He panted, “That’s impossible.”

“You have to save them,” Noah told the man, “Bartosz, Magnus, Franziska. And later me and Agnes. The loop has to be closed so the next cycle begins. As the prophecy dictates. And so they both can live.”

The man panted, “No, this can’t be.” He closed the letter, grabbed the machine and ran.

Katharina walked into the cave as Elisabeth crawled through the hole under the plant in 2053. Franziska and Magnus helped Adam get ready for his journey. The crews dug into the pool. Elisabeth and Peter sat in the bunker as Regina and Claudia joined them. Charlotte walked into the room as they were digging trying to uncover the pool.

Jonas walked into his childhood home. He was finally back in his own time. He looked around for Hannah and Annalise. He walked up the stairs calling for them.

Martha walked into the Kahnwald house, “Jonas?!” The boy ran down the stairs once more to see the girl. She gasped, “you’re back. You really came back. I’ve been looking for you.” She slowly approached him.

“I have to tell you something,” Jonas rushed to her.

Martha nodded, “I know. Everything. That’s why you said that back then in the rain. Mikkel… I know everything.”

Jonas shook his head, “No, Martha,”

“It was you at the lake,” She interrupted him, “You were the boy with Annalise too, weren’t you?”

He started to cry, “I was wrong then.” He felt her wipe his tears away, “I… Annalise.”

Martha nodded laughing through her tears, “I understand.” She shook her head as she pressed her forehead against his. They laughed together desperately as they cried. They felt so stupid.

Annalise walked in interrupting the two teens. Her heart raced feeling the cold metal in her hands. The heartless object weighed upon her more than life itself. Jonas stared at the girl’s tear-stained face. For the first time ever, he realized her pain. Jonas saw her for just how broken, lost, and scared she was. His heart ached. She was just as locked in this as he was. They were perfectly falling into the darkness together. She was broken nearing the edge of unrecognition. He looked at the gun in her hand. Annalise slowly lifted it and pointed it at Martha. She squeezed her eyes closed and started to whisper under her breath, “Please forgive me. Please forgive me. I have to. I have to. I can’t let the world end again.”

Jonas’s eyes widened as he yelled at Annalise, “Lise! What are you doing?!” He rushed to her and touched her face. His hands were shaking. It had taken him a moment to actually fully realize what was happening around him. “Annalise, talk to me,” He pleaded with her, “Please. Open your eyes and look at me.”

Her lips trembled as she slowly opened her eyes to look at the dirty boy in front of her. Her heart stopped. The wall she built up suddenly crumbled. Her breath taken from her. There he was. Just like the day they first met. The day she had her first kiss. The day she fell in love with a boy who would not love her back right before this moment. The gun nearly dropped from her hand. Everything else in the world faded from her for a second. As she felt the gun slip, she gripped firmly onto it and back to reality. She shook her head of those earlier thoughts. Her tears fell from her eyes, “Jonas, I have to. You can’t hate me if I don’t.”

Martha stood there terrified. She didn’t know what to do. She started to panic. This was all too much for her. She started to sob as well. She had no idea what was going on. Those two seemed as if they had seen and came back from war right there under her nose. They acted so hardened when just a few months earlier, they were soft and warm.

“Hate you,” Jonas asked. He started to cry, “Lise… We both know that I couldn’t do that. We both know I can’t.” He wiped her tears from her face, “We’ve come so far. I’ve grown to meet you where I left you standing a year ago. I’m finally here. I’m so sorry I left you.” He wrapped one of his hands around hers with the gun, “Annalise please give it to me. You’ll regret it later if you do this. I know you. You love Martha just as much as I do. You don’t want to do this. Please just listen to me. Please forgive me for taking this long to realize.”

Annalise sobbed, “But if I don’t, then the Apocalypse is just going to keep happening and I have to stop it Jonas. I have to stop you from looping us over and over again.” The breaking point of suffering revealed itself across her face. Her chest squeezed onto itself as she yelled at the boy, “If you hate me, then all of this will stop! I have to make it stop! I just want all this pain to end!” She was finally fully spiraling down. She could finally unleash everything with the one person who could truly understand. Her voice was strained from her tears and guilt. Her heart raced. Her mind was running faster than time itself. She just wanted everything to stop, just for a single second; Time to stop.

Jonas soothed her, “I know. I promise you. I know.” He wrapped himself around her for a small moment before pulling away again to plea, “Annalise please… Listen to me. Give me the gun. Everything is going to be okay. You trust me, right? That’s why you’re here, right? You have to just trust me just a little bit more, okay? I promise I’m going to stop this, okay?” He brought his body close to hers. He tried to wipe her tears with one hand while the other still tried to have her let go of the gun.

Annalise slowly loosened her grip just enough to where Jonas felt comfortable to wrestle it out of her hand. With one arm, he pulled her close to him for an embrace. Annalise wept into his neck wrapping herself around him also. Martha started to approach them to join in the hug. All the while Jonas’s other arm reeled back and tossed the gun away from them. BANG! The gun roared as it released its chambered bullet after being carelessly tossed aside. Martha screamed and lept back once more. Jonas pulled Annalise closely to him trying to protect her only for it to be proven useless. Annalise coughed and red blood waterfalled out of her mouth and onto his neck and shoulder. Her chest heaved as she tried to breathe. She was like a fish out of water.

Jonas cried, “Annalise! Annalise no!” He pressed his hands against the warm wet wound as he lowered them to the ground. He pulled her into his lap. His salty tears washed away the blood from her chin, “Stay with me.” One of his hands moved to her face to caress her cheeks leaving his bloody fingerprints behind as he nodded telling her, “You’re going to live with me and we will get married. Right here in this house. We are going to have two beautiful children. Because we don’t want them to be lonely. I won’t leave your side. Ever. Never again. Just... Please. Please don’t leave me.” He felt shuffling around him but he didn’t care his focus was completely on the girl he loved being drained of her life in his arms. The boy pressed his forehead against hers. 

Annalise reached up to touch his face. She wiped his tears with a small smile, “I will never leave you. We were meant to be. This was destined to happen.” She coughed having more of her blood drench the both of them, “Please… Don’t let me go until I’m asleep.” As much as she would have hated to tell him, she didn’t feel any pain. She just finally felt at peace. Like she could rest without worry now.

Jonas cradled her, “But you can’t. You have to stay with me. We have to spend every night together thankful that we have each other. You have to be the one who finds me in the dark! Don’t leave me! Promise me you’ll stay with me! Annalise, you have to promise me, please!” His head kept shaking trying to deny all that she and the world was telling him. He swallowed hard. His breathing was shallow as his ocean blue eyes drained everything from them.

Annalise shook her head while rubbing his cheeks, “I would have never known I could love so much without you. Just keep me safe and close right now.” She tried to keep her smile plastered on her face to try and comfort the boy she loved. 

Jonas nodded, “Of course. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He sobbed more as his entire body trembled with fear, “Annalise, you have to pull through though. We have to… I want you here with me… I want us together… Here… I want to see your smiling face every morning and take a walk with you through the woods so we can just scream out our troubles… I want your burnt pancakes…” He whispered desperately, “Please…”

Two familiar faces appeared to her right past Jonas. Mikkel, who constantly was shifting between when she knew him and when he was Jonas’s father, and her father stood there with welcoming arms and smiles waiting for her. She started to look past the solidly there boy, “I’m going home. I’ll see you soon.” Annalise finally felt at home again. Her heart at long awaited peace. She turned her face back to Jonas. Annalise had a small smile painted across her face, “I love you.” With the last of her energy, she snuggled into his chest and pulled him down for a small tender kiss.

Jonas didn’t pull away from her until she was fully limp and gone. He had pressed his lips hard and desperate against hers. Hoping by some miracle that his love would cure her wound and she would come back to him. “I love you too,” He whispered to her as his tears splashed on her face. The boy slowly removed her necklace and put it into his pocket for safekeeping. He heard another bang near his head. He looked up to see Adam and a fallen Martha. Jonas panicked and crawled over to Martha, “No. No no no. No. No. Martha no.”

Adam gently placed the smoking gun down next to Annalise. He scooped her limp body up and in a pained whisper told her body, “And so the circle closes.” He turned to the young him and said, “I told you that all the pieces are in their places. All that’s needed was a little push.” He turned his head back to his limp love in his arms and moved the hair out of her face. He placed his forehead against hers with his eyes closed for a moment feeling more of her warm getting sucked away.

Jonas grit his teeth, “You lied to me! You wanted it all to happen again! Why else?! You’re the trigger!” He bore his teeth at Adam wishing he could pull his love away from his perverse older self. Yet, he dared not move from trying to hold Martha’s wound. It slowly started to click. Adam must have gotten to Annalise too and lied to her. Filled her head with nasty corrupting lies that lead them to this moment… and he had helped him. Just yesterday for him, but a full year ago for her, he had planted the seeds for her to trust Adam, just as he also planted the seeds of their future love.

Adam stared at him, “We’re all the trigger. Each and every one of us.”

“Why do you want that,” He yelled, “Why do you want the future to be repeated?! Annalise is dead because of you! She trusted you!”

The man sighed, “Because what is created today is the beginning of the end. The dark matter, it has to be created so that in the future I can lead it to its new purpose. The end of this world. I am the trigger, only not of what you think. I am the trigger that will make you become what I am today. Some pain is unforgettable. You will carry this pain with you all your life. Until you’re finally ready...” Adam strolled over to the calendar and marked the date for his past and future self, “to let go. Of her, too.” He nodded towards Martha. Adam walked towards him, “You can stop me or try to save her. You’ll know what to do.” The elder Jonas walked out with Annalise’s limp body cradled in his arms leaving his younger self to cry over Martha.

“Please don’t go,” Jonas begged, watching the life drain from her eyes, “I can’t lose you too. Please.” He watched as the life drained from her as well.

The crate was opened despite Charlotte protesting.

The adult Jonas banged on the door. He stormed inside the Nielsen house ignoring Magnus’s questions after the boy let him inside. He placed the machine down.

“It’s him,” Bartosz slowly approached him, “It’s you. You’re Jonas. It’s all your fault.”

He nodded, “Yes. It’s all my fault. All of it. But I’m here to save you.”

“Save us from what,” Bartosz asked through gritted teeth.

“From the apocalypse,” explained the man.

“What apocalypse,” Magnus asked.

Bartosz growled, “What about Martha? Where is Annalise?” He rushed at the man as Elisabeth in 2053 threw the switch. Bartosz gripped the man’s shirt and yelled, “WHERE IS ANNALISE?!”

The older Magnus and Franziska turned their machine on full power as the 2020 atom expanded into the room. Katharina followed the particles through the cave to the passage as the bunker lights started to flicker. Hanno slowly walked into the bunker as the atom lowered and collapsed in on itself.

Katharina opened the passage seeing a giant light. The portal slowly opened revealing the older Elisabeth to Charlotte. They stared at each other for a moment before reaching out to touch each other.

The machine whirled to life as Magnus and Franziska tried to pull Bartosz away from trying to kill the man using only his fists. Bartosz continued to scream at him as the machine’s portal slowly opened.

Jonas cried over Martha’s body. “I’ll make it right.” He heard footsteps behind him causing him to turn around. When he saw who it was, he scurried away from the girl’s body.

A short haired Martha with a scar approached him. She had dark hair and bangs. She looked at the girl’s body and back up at him, “I’m not who you think I am.” She turned hearing the noise then rushed back to him. 

“Wait, Martha, that’s not possible, I..”

The girl turned to him and took out a device, “We don’t have time.” She activated it, “I’ll explain it to you later. We have to go now.”

Jonas stared at her, “What time are you from?”

This Martha turned to him and responded, “The question isn’t from what time, but from what world.”

Jonas turned to stare at the girl, then down at the screaming ball as the nuclear blast hit his home.


End file.
